Michigan Aerospace Alumni Evan Pineda, MSE ‘07 PhD ‘12, is among the recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The PECASE is awarded annually to independent researchers by US government agencies including the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and NASA. In addition to recieving funding for five years, Dr. Pineda and the other awardees will be honored at a ceremony in Washington DC.
Dr. Pineda earned his Masters and PhD at the University of Michigan, where he worked under Dr. Anthony Waas, Richard A. Auhll Department Chair of Aerospace Engineering and Felix Pawlowski Collegiate Professor, at the Composite Structures Laboratory (CSL). At the CSL, Dr. Pineda worked on multiscale failure prediction for composite materials in partnership with NASA’s Glenn Research Center.
Dr. Pineda now works at NASA Glenn, developing multiscale failure analysis codes, for which he has received the PECASE. He remembers his time with Dr. Waas at the CSL for teaching him the “fundamental skills necessary for research.” His work will be applied in the Space Launch System, NASA’s upcoming orbital launch vehicle.
In addition to the PECASE, Dr. Pineda has received numerous awards for his work including the DESTech Young Composites Researcher Award and NASA Early Career Achievement Medal.
