COVID-19 Updates

• Student Services Staff

  Graduate Student Services Coordinator: Denise Phleps, First Floor of FXB, Room# 1048
  Contact Denise: dphelps@umich.edu (734) 615-4406

  Undergraduate Student Services Coordinator: Linda Weiss, First Floor of FXB, Room# 1048
  Contact Linda: lweiss@umich.edu (734) 764-3310

• Administrative Staff

  Department Administrator: Shelly Yee, First Floor of FXB, Room# 1048
  Contact Shelly: shellyee@umich.edu (734) 763-1226

  Assistant to the Chair: Gwen L. Brown
  Contact Gwen: browngl@umich.edu (734) 764-7320

  Research Administrator: Meredith Ingram
  Contact Meredith: ingramm@umich.edu (734) 615-7457

  Communications & Outreach Specialist: Kimberly Johnson
  Contact Kimberly: berlykim@umich.edu (734) 647-4701

  Human Resources Generalist: Jess Jones
  Contact Jess: williaje@umich.edu (734) 764-7200

  Research Administrator: Khristine Henson-Jones
  Contact Khristine: hensonk@umich.edu (734) 764-6927

  Research Administrator: Lydia Marks-Wilt
  Contact Lydia: lmarkswi@umich.edu (734) 647-4695

  Research Process Manager: Kristin Parrish
  Contact Kristin: kparrish@umich.edu (734) 764-8710

• Technical Staff

  Senior Electronics Technician: Aaron Borgman, First Floor of FXB, Room# 1216
  Contact Aaron: borgman@umich.edu (734) 615-3282

  Engineering Technician: Chris Chartier, First Floor of FXB, Room# 1216
  Contact Chris: chartier@umich.edu (734) 764-6206

  Supervisor of Laboratory Services: Tom Griffin, First Floor of FXB, Room# 1216
  Contact Tom: tgriffin@umich.edu (734) 763-1052

  Instrument Maker: Terry Larrow, Gorguze Family Laboratory (GFL)
  Contact Terry: larrow@umich.edu (734) 764-3392

  Systems Administrator: Dave Mclean, First Floor of FXB, Room# 1216
  Contact Dave: dmclean@umich.edu (734) 936-0109

  Engineering Technician: Samuel Reed
  Contact Sam: samreed@umich.edu (734) 764-3333

• Department Chair

  Richard A. Auhll Department Chair of Aerospace Engineering: Anthony Waas, First Floor of FXB, Room# 1048
  Contact Dr. Waas: awaas@umich.edu (734) 764-7320
  Onsite: By appointment only. Please contact Gwen Brown to schedule an appointment.

• Work Order and Purchasing Requests

  Facility Work Order Requests

  Purchasing Requests

• Where can I find the latest University of Michigan information and resources on COVID-19?

  For the latest University of Michigan and COVID-19 resources visit the Campus Maize & Blueprint website.

• Does the U-M offer tuition refund insurance?

  Yes. U-M’s tuition insurance protects against financial loss in case a student has to withdraw from the university due to illness or injury (physical or mental health). To learn more visit the U-M Finance website.

• What do I do in case of an on-site emergency?

  Immediately call 911 to reach the University’s DPSS (Division of Public Safety & Security), AND

  Immediately do one of the following:

  • Notify an Aero staff member in-person located in either the Tech Center or Administrative Office. Members of the Aero Emergency Response Teams are located in these areas and will be sure that the emergency is communicated to Department leadership (i.e. Department Administrator, Facilities & Lab Manager, and Chair)
  • Call the Department Administrator, Shelly Yee, at (734) 763-1226 or the Supervisor of Laboratory Services, Tom Griffin, at (734) 763-1052 and speak with them directly. Do not just leave a voice message or email.

  Note that it is critical to reach someone in-person or voice-to-voice.

  Department leadership is then responsible for notifying the relevant College and University contacts and taking and/or delegating all appropriate actions to address the emergency.

• What daily safety protocols am I required to follow?

  All members and visitors of the Aero community must follow these daily safety protocols:

  Complete the Daily Web-based Health Attestation
  Every university community member (faculty, staff, and student) that is present in-person on U-M property or in a U-M facility during the day must complete a health assessment through the ResponsiBLUE tool, before they enter the building or property, or upon exiting living quarters if living on campus.

  Once you have logged in, the screening tool will ask three yes or no questions based on CDC and other public‑health guidance related to COVID‑19 symptoms and contact with others. Based on the responses, you will either see a green screen with a check mark, indicating you can enter U‑M buildings (results expire after 12 hours), or a red screen indicating that you should take specific actions based on University guidelines and follow the directions on the red screen.

  Because the CoE is requiring departments to perform periodic compliance checks of building occupants’ daily health attestations, you may be asked by an Aero staff member to show your system check mark on your phone screen.

  Wear a Face Masks or Covering
  With very limited exceptions, all faculty, staff, students and visitors are required to wear a face covering over their mouth and nose anywhere on campus – inside buildings, outdoors and on U-M transportation.

  Use Your Mcard for Building Access
  Mcards are required to enter all CoE buildings. It is prohibited to let anyone else in the building under your Mcard swipe. Each individual must swipe their own card before entering.

  Maintain 6 feet (1.8m) Distance from Others
  Aim to keep 6 feet of space between yourself and others at all times. Pay attention to any physical guides, such as tape markings on floors or signs on walls, directing attendees to remain at least 6 feet apart from each other in lines or at other times. Allow other people 6 feet of space when you pass by them in both indoor and outdoor settings. For more information on social distancing and convening, the Office of Student Life has worked with students to create the Wolverine Culture of Care information sheet.

  Hygiene
  Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If unable to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer.

  Sanitize Work and Meeting Spaces Before Use
  Whenever possible, wipe down any surfaces with a sanitizing agent before you touch them (ex. desk and table tops, lab equipment, computer keyboards, phones, vending machine buttons, etc.). Cleaning supplies are available in labs, classrooms, McDivitt, and the Learning Center.

  Adhere to All Traffic Flow Shifts and Room Capacity Limitations When in Campus Buildings
  To facilitate social distancing, many hallways, stairways, and entrance ways have been converted to one-way traffic flow and elevator use has been limited. Signage is posted in these cases. Also, each room in FXB and the Wind Tunnel has been assigned a maximum capacity based on the required CDC social distancing density limits. It is important that everyone adhere to these traffic shifts and occupancy limitations.

  Stay Home if you exhibit potential COVID-related symptoms
  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

• Do I need to take the ResponsiBLUE health attestation everyday even if I am not on campus?

  While it is not required of individuals who are remote to use ResponsiBLUE, doing so will help make using the tool a healthy habit, and the aggregated data gathered will provide useful information about the overall health of the U-M community.

• Do visitors and vendors need to take the ResponsiBLUE health attestation?

  Yes. Visitors and vendors must use the guest version of ResponsiBLUE whenever they come to campus.

• Are there exceptions for times when I’m required to wear a face mask or covering on campus?

  The University has issued a policy, U-M Face Covering Policy for COVID-19, which lists exceptions. If you believe you require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to be exempt from wearing a face mask/covering, please contact the Office for Institutional Equity.

• Where can I find hand sanitizer and extra masks if needed?

  Masks and hand sanitizer kits are available to all graduate students, please contact Denise Phelps. For undergraduate students please stop in the Aero Tech Center (First Floor of FXB, Room# 1216) to receive either disposable or cloth masks if not provided by your instructor.

• What happens if I forget to wear a mask to FXB or the Wind Tunnel buildings?

  All FXB building and wind tunnel occupants are required to wear face coverings/masks anywhere in the building including classrooms, labs, atrium, or any location of either building. If you forget to wear your mask, you should immediately request one from either your classroom instructor or an Aero staff member located in the Tech Center or Administrative Office. The maximum number of times a mask will be provided to any one individual is twice. If you arrive at FXB or the Wind Tunnel a third time without a mask/face covering, you will be asked to leave the building.

  Employees and students who repeatedly do not wear a mask and have not been granted a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be subject to the University’s misconduct and disciplinary policy or the Office of Student Conflict Resolution.

  If a student who is enrolled in an in-person course is unwilling to adhere to wearing a face mask/covering, or any other required safety measure, they will either be required to participate on a remote basis (if available) or to disenroll from the class.

• What should I do if I see someone in FXB or the Wind Tunnel without a mask/face covering?

  Non-compliance can be reported to your supervisor, a faculty advisor, the Aero department administrator, or to the CoE Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education.

• What should I do if I test positive for the coronavirus or have symptoms?

  Please visit the Safety & Health FAQs on the Taking Care of Maize & Blueprint site.

• Do I need my Mcard to access the FXB and Wind Tunnel Buildings?

  Yes. Starting on Aug 24th, the MCard hours of operation will be Monday-Friday 7:00 AM until midnight for all valid UM MCard holders, and midnight to 7:00 AM for CoE faculty, staff, and students only. Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays will be restricted to COE faculty, staff and students.

• Where should I enter and exit the FXB building?

  Faculty, staff and students are required to enter and exit the FXB building in accordance with the directional signage that is placed on the east and west end atrium doors. PLEASE READ THE SIGNS AND USE DOORS APPROPRIATELY!

• Am I able to access my office or desk space?

  Students and Visitors:
  Due to U-M and State of Michigan social distancing and safety requirements, students are unable to use FXB workspaces. The entire 1st and 2nd floor wings of offices are closed until further notice.

  Post-docs:
  Post-docs are unable to use FXB workspaces unless they have an extenuating circumstance that would warrant it. Their faculty advisor should provide a written justification to the Department Chair for review and approval. If approved, the Department leadership will determine the most appropriate space, from a social distancing perspective, for the post-doc to be assigned temporarily.

  Faculty (including T/TT professors, professors of practice, lecturers, and research faculty):
  U-M is permitting faculty to use their offices for mission critical activities, which include:

  • preparation and delivery of instruction that cannot be accomplished at home
  • participation in on-campus faculty, staff, and student meetings and events that cannot be effectively accomplished remotely
  • conduct of mission critical academic and administrative service activities that cannot be effectively accomplished at home

  Faculty offices should not be used simply as a matter of convenience or because faculty prefer to work in their office rather than at home.

  Research activities that can be performed remotely should continue to be conducted remotely.

  Staff:
  Only staff who have designated mission critical roles (i.e. supports on-site instruction or research, are student-facing, or have leadership responsibilities as a critical employee) are permitted to use office spaces in FXB or the Wind Tunnel buildings. They should not use their office spaces to conduct in-person meetings with individuals, but rather should reserve larger space in conference rooms or the Learning Center, or conduct the meeting outside if weather permits.

• What should I do if I need to pick up items from my office or desk space?

  Students, post-docs, and visitors should make their requests for access by emailing aero-front-desk@umich.edu. Please provide at least 24-hours notice before needing to access your space. You will be escorted by an Aero staff member.

  Staff members who are not approved to be on-site for mission critical work should seek approval and coordinate access to their workspace with their direct supervisor.

  Faculty may access their offices at a time most convenient for them to pick up items, as long as they do not stay and continue to use their offices for non-mission critical work.

• Can I use the elevator in the FXB building?

  The FXB Building elevator is restricted to faculty, students, and staff members that are unable to use the stairs. No more than two people may occupy the elevator at the same time.

• Can I use the stairwell in the FXB building?

  Faculty, staff and students may use the stairwell accordingly, the west side stairwell (near the Beal Street entrance) may only be used for traveling upstairs; the east side stairwell may only be used for traveling downstairs. Any stairwell can be used in an emergency.

• If I have been approved for access to my faculty advisor’s research lab, may I access it during the weekends?

  Under The U-M Office of Research’s (UMOR) guidance, research labs are closed on Sundays and holidays except for mission-critical activities as determined by the faculty advisor. The faculty advisor may be asked by the CoE to provide a justification for mission-critical work.

  Approved lab personnel may access their labs on Saturdays provided shift assignments are maintained.  [9/4]

• Will undergraduate students have access to the research labs?

  Currently, U-M is maintaining its current policy which limits undergraduates engaged in in-person research.

  Only senior students (individuals entering their senior year of coursework) who already have experience in the same laboratory can resume in-person research and scholarship at this time. Undergraduates at any year of study are welcome and encouraged to join research teams if their work can be done remotely.

  Research leadership will reassess this policy in early October after students have fully re-engaged on campus to determine whether more undergraduates can safely resume in-person laboratory, studio, human and field research and scholarship.

ON-SITE STAFF SUPPORT

ROOM RESERVATIONS IN THE FXB BUILDING

FOOD & TRANSPORTATION

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION CONCERNS

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Department Chair Messages

June 26, 2020

Students: Getting ready to welcome you back to campus!

By Dr. Anthony Waas, Aerospace Engineering Department Chair

Dear Aerospace Engineering Students:

The summer has been quite an interesting time! Whether you are here in Michigan, or in another corner of the world, I hope you are staying safe, healthy and active.

As you heard from President Schlissel and Dean Gallimore earlier this week, we are beyond thrilled to be able to welcome you back to campus this Fall for a public health-informed in-residence semester.

We cannot wait to see you back in the FXB Building, getting engaged in activities but at all times practicing safe distancing and wearing a mask to protect you and others.

The Fall semester will be designed to consist of a mixture of both in-person and remote experiences designed to deliver the top-quality education Michigan Aerospace Engineering is known for, structured to reflect our commitment to public health.

Of course, we recognize not all of you will be able to or desire to return to Ann Arbor. In particular, those of you who may need to travel internationally may have increased difficulties. For this reason, we will be providing you the option of choosing whether to return for a hybrid learning experience or study from home in a fully remote mode.
Read full message »

June 26, 2020

Faculty & Staff: Fall 2020 & Campus Reopen Information

By Dr. Anthony Waas, Aerospace Engineering Department Chair

Dear Aerospace Engineering Faculty & Staff:

The summer has been quite an interesting time! Whether you are here in Michigan, or in another corner of the world, I hope you are staying safe, healthy and active.

As you heard from President Schlissel and Dean Gallimore earlier this week, we are beyond thrilled to be able to welcome you back to campus this Fall for a public health-informed in-residence semester.

We cannot wait to see you back in the FXB Building, getting engaged in activities but at all times practicing safe distancing and wearing a mask to protect you and others.
Read full message »

March 24, 2020

A message from our Chair

By Dr. Anthony Waas, Aerospace Engineering Department Chair

To All Members of the U-M Aerospace Community,

I am writing to you to share some general updates and thoughts related to the COVID-19 Virus. I recognize that these are stressful times for all, yet I commend our students, faculty, staff, and the entire Michigan Aerospace community for their patience, flexibility, and energy in this unprecedented situation. Above all, safety is the utmost priority of our community. I have been thoroughly impressed with the Department’s steadfast dedication to safety over the past weeks, and I urge you to continue practicing healthy habits such as frequent hand washing and self-quarantining when necessary. By the same token, I cannot emphasize the importance of mental wellness enough. We encourage all to explore the resources provided by the CDC for managing stress and anxiety in these trying times here.

To help resolve this situation as quickly as possible, the Aerospace Department aligns itself with President Schlissel in strongly encouraging all members of the U-M community to follow the guidelines given by Governor Whitmer via the “Stay Home and Stay Safe” order. Staff members have been asked to work from home and we are taking steps to practice social distancing and implement deep cleaning within our facility. While this is an adjustment for all, I would like to assure our alumni and supporters that despite these disruptions, our operations will be minimally interrupted.

It is critical for our students and educational mission that we maintain continuity of research and operations during this uncertain time via teleworking. I implore workplaces to be as flexible as needed as we further integrate technology solutions into our day-to-day. I highly suggest everyone to refer to our full array of COVID-19 College of Engineering Resources, which can be found here.

As engineers, collaboration is our specialty. I have no doubt that in continuing to work together, adapting and adjusting each day as a community, we will successfully overcome this obstacle. 

Go Blue and Stay Safe.

Sincerely,

Anthony M. Waas

Richard A. Auhll Department Chair of Aerospace Engineering

Felix Pawlowski Collegiate Professor

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