The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced this week that it has appointed AE Prof. Robert D. Braun to serve a two-year term as the new chair for the U.S. Frontiers of Engineering (FOE) program.

Established by NAE in 1995, FOE annually brings together outstanding engineers (ages 30-45) across all engineering fields for a 2-1/2 day meeting to learn about cutting-edge developments in different disciplines. One of the 100 engineers chosen to attend the 2014 FOE gathering is AE's Mitchell Walker.

Elected to the NAE earlier this year, Braun said he was excited to begin his term as FOE Chair in January 2015.

"I first became aware of the National Academy of Engineering as a participant in this (FOE) program, when I was a young engineer," he said.

"I met a number of innovative colleagues at that symposium - including [GT engineering dean] Gary May -- and found the discussions to be both intellectually stimulating and wonderfully predictive of our world's technological future."

"I left that FOE meeting with new friends in a wide range of engineering fields and an appreciation for the tremendous national and societal impact of engineering. In organizing the FOE over these next two years, I hope to be able to provide similar experiences to today's up and coming engineers."

In his new position, Braun will organize the 2015 FOE symposium focusing on four interdisciplinary topics:

• engineering the search for Earth-like exoplanets

• cybersecurity

• metamaterials and compliant mechanisms

• forecasting natural disasters

At Georgia Tech, Braun serves as the David and Andrew Lewis Professor and is the founding director of the Center for Space Technology and Research. His research focuses on systems aspects of planetary exploration and the advancement of entry, descent and landing technology. He has contributed to the design, development, test and operation of several robotic space flight systems and is co-founder of Terminal Velocity Aerospace, a small business providing atmospheric reentry services to enhance safety and promote the utilization of space.

Braun is an AIAA Fellow, and was recently appointed to serve as the editor of the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets He is the principal author or co-author of more than 275 technical publications in the fields of atmospheric flight dynamics, planetary exploration, multidisciplinary design optimization, and systems engineering. He earned a B.S. in aerospace engineering from Pennsylvania State University, an M.S. in astronautics from George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University.