Hello AIAA Members:

Every year AIAA sponsors regional conferences for its students to present encourage students in aerospace related fields to discuss research, exchange knowledge, and generate interest in the field of aerospace engineering. This year the REGION V CONFERENCE will be hosted at SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY.

AIAA hs three sponsored competitions categories: Undergraduate division, Masters division, and Team division. These submissions will be reviewed and scored by professional engineers. High-ranking submissions receive cash awards, with the first place winners securing an invitation to participate in the prestigious AIAA National Student Conference.

Please note that the Team Competition is new for this year. The Team category now requires a paper and a presentation, just like the other categories. This is different than last year! Final rules will be updated later this year, but you can read them at rules. Here are a few of the most important rules:

1) Paper must be prepared according to the AIAA Author Kit at AIAA Author Kit in a single column format. Paper, including tables, figures, and acknowledgements can be no longer that 11 pages total.

2) There can only be two student authors listed on the paper (except in the team division). Faculty advisors from a University may be listed as co-autohors. Please note that NASA or industry advisors, etc., may NOT be listed as co-authors; they should instead be noted in the paper acknowledgements.

3) Papers submitted to the Regional Student Conferences should not be submitted for presentation or publication to any other conference or journal. If the paper is not the first place winner in its respective category, then the student may submit to other conferences or journals.

For more details about the conference, visit the website at Region V SPC. All instructions about how to submit abstracts, presentations, and papers is detailed there.

Non-presenters are encouraged to attend the conference, also. Attendance is beneficial for you to get some good ideas on what you may want to do in the future. The only requirement for attending the conference is AIAA membership. Everyone attending the conference must register at the SPC website listed above.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Abstracts: February 4th, 2008
Final Paper: March 17th, 2008
Conference: April 17 & 18, 2008

Please help make this a wonderful event, by helping to spread the word to students and faculty. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at any time. Good luck preparing and hope to see you soon.

Sincerely,

Lawrence G. Boyer
Parks AIAA Student Chapter Advisor
Saint Louis University
Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
314-977-8240, BOYERLG@SLU.EDU