Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters, will receive an honorary doctorate in engineering during Purdue’s Division IV commencement at 2 p.m. on May 11.
NASA's Bill Gerstenmaier (BSAAE '77) joined Mary Lynne Dittmar, president and CEO of The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration, and Jonathan Lunine, professor and director of the Cornell University Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, on a panel to discuss a variety of topics related to space exploration and policy.
In collaboration with six universities, Purdue was awarded a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) award from the Department of Defense (DoD) to build a capability to allow scientists to predict the behavior of energetic materials using advanced machine learning tools.
Karen Marais, an associate professor in AAE, is part of Purdue's multidisciplinary team for the new Resilient ExtraTerrestrial Habitats institute. Shirley Dyke, a professor of mechanical and civil engineering, is principal investigator.