October 8, 2018 — Dr. Barron Bichon of Southwest Research Institute’s Mechanical Engineering Division has been named an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
AIAA Associate Fellows are recognized for overseeing important engineering or scientific work, outstanding contributions to their field or original work of exceptional caliber. Associate fellows are recommended by at least three other Associate Fellows in addition to being senior members of the AIAA, with at least 12 years of professional experience. The AIAA only selects one Associate Fellow for each 150 members each year.
Bichon joined SwRI in 2007 and leads a team of researchers in materials engineering testing and modeling, specifically helping manufacturers accelerate the development of new materials and processes by minimizing testing and creating more efficient models. He’s currently working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency using data analysis techniques and computational framework to create a predictive model for manufacturing process control of bonded structures, such as aircraft.
“I’m impressed every day with the work being done here at SwRI,” Bichon said. “Every project is unique and there is such a diversity of challenges being tackled that makes me feel very fortunate that I get to work within this community.”
Bichon joined AIAA in 2004 while a graduate student at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a master’s degree in civil engineering. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The University of Memphis and a doctorate in civil engineering from Vanderbilt University. He is also a member of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society as well as the ASME Verification and Validation for Advanced Manufacturing Subcommittee.
“Being a part of AIAA gives me a chance to stay engaged in the work happening on the academic side as well as on the industry level,” he said. “It’s a wonderful thing to connect with academic researchers through AIAA and show them how we’ve applied their work.”
Bichon and the rest of the AIAA Class of 2019 Associate Fellows will be honored at a recognition ceremony and dinner in San Diego on Jan. 7, 2019.
For more information, visit Computational Materials or contact Joanna Carver, (210) 522-2073, Communications Department, Southwest Research Institute, PO Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX, 78228-0510.