Jan. 31, 2011 — Dr. Dale A. Cope, a program manager in Southwest Research Institute's® (SwRI®) Mechanical Engineering Division, has been elected as an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
AIAA Associate Fellows are individuals of distinction who have made notable and valuable contributions to the arts, sciences or technology of aeronautics or astronautics. Cope is one of 186 Associate Fellows who were honored Jan. 4 during the 49th Aerospace Sciences Meeting in Orlando.
Cope has more than 20 years of experience in aircraft structures technology. Prior to joining the SwRI staff in 2007, he was a laboratory director at the National Institute for Aviation Research where he was responsible for conducting research related to the airworthiness of aging aircraft. Cope is also a retired U.S. Air Force officer with experience as an aircraft maintenance officer and aircraft structural engineer. At SwRI, he has conducted an internal research project for aircraft structural health monitoring, and he supports the Air Force's Aircraft Structural Integrity Program for the T-38, A-10 and KC-135. He is currently serving as the technical manager for the destructive teardown evaluation of a KC-135 aircraft.
Cope holds a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University, a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from Wichita State University. He is the author of 29 publications and presentations.
In addition to the AIAA, he is a member of the Air Force Association, Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Gamma Tau.
For more information, contact SwRI Solutions.