4/4/2013 Written by Susan Mumm
Written by Written by Susan Mumm
AE Prof. Bruce A. Conway has been elected as a Fellow of the American Astronautical Society (AAS).
The designation of Fellow is bestowed upon AAS members who have made significant scientific, engineering, academic and/or management contributions to astronautics and space. Contributions to AAS are also considered.”
Conway has been a member of the AE faculty member the past 30 years. His research interests primarily include orbital mechanics, optimal control, and improved methods for the numerical solution of problems in optimization.
Over the past year he was invited to deliver two prestigious lectures: the John V. Breakwell Memorial Lecture at the Astrodynamics Symposium of the 61st International Astronautical Congress, and the AAS Winter Space Flight Mechanics meeting plenary lecture. The latter honor came with being chosen for the 2009 AAS Dirk Brouwer Award.
Both talks focused on methods available to optimize space trajectories, with Conway favoring an option using “evolutionary algorithms,” a research interest of his over the past four years.
In addition to his contributions to research, Conway also has been frequently recognized for his teaching skills. Conway has been included on the campus’ “List of Teachers Ranked Excellent by Their Students” 57 times. Over his career AE students chose him eight times as “Teacher of the Year.” He has won every College of Engineering teaching award available, as well as the 2007 Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the University of Illinois’ highest teaching accolade.
Conway earned a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1973 from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He earned a master’s in mechanics in 1974 from the University of Minnesota, and a PhD in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in 1981.