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We are at the AIAA Aviation 2025!
We are at the AIAA Aviation 2025!
July 26, 2025
Mehedi Hasan presented his work from his Master's thesis on stall and spin accident analysis and severity prediction at the AIAA Aviation Forum in Las Vegas this week. Read the paper here: https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/6.2025-3322Â
ASYST Lab Introduces Young Girls to Aerospace through Flight Simulation at KidTrec Camp
ASYST Lab Introduces Young Girls to Aerospace through Flight Simulation at KidTrec Camp
July 16, 2025
Last week, we had the joy of leading an Aerospace Engineering and Aviation workshop for a group of bright and curious 5th–6th grade girls at the University of Arkansas KidTrec Camp.
We explored the basics of airplane systems and spent hands-on time with a flight simulator. But what truly surprised us? Almost every student was more excited about crashing the airplane than flying it safely! At first, it felt counterintuitive, but after much reflection, we can draw a few insights from both psychological and educational perspectives.
– At this age (called tween), kids are naturally curious and love to explore boundaries. Crashing a virtual plane for them is a safe, thrilling way to experiment with control, understand the cause and effect without fear of failure.
– Learning with strong visuals and in a safe but playful manner gave them agency over this complex machine.
– And maybe, it’s how they make the experience their own before rules and structure come in.
In aviation, we often talk about precision, control, and safety (for good reasons). But before any of that, there must be wonder, freedom, and fearless curiosity, especially when inspiring the next generation.
So yes, that day we had a lot of intentional crashes. But we also had a room full of curiosity, questions, and excitement. Who knows, maybe a few future pilots and aerospace engineers were born that day!
Also, thanks to our PhD student Toluwalase Olatunji for helping organize this workshop.
Mehedi Hasan Has Successfully Defended his MS Thesis on Stall/Spin General Aviation Accidents
Mehedi Hasan Has Successfully Defended his MS Thesis on Stall/Spin General Aviation Accidents
July 10, 2025
Congratulations to Mehedi Hasan on successfully defending his Master’s thesis titled: “Analysis and Predictive Modeling of Stall and Spin Accidents in General Aviation Fixed-Wing Aircraft”
Mehedi’s work offers critical insights into one of the most persistent causes of aviation, stall and spin accidents. By analyzing over 1,000 NTSB reports and applying machine learning techniques, his research identified high-risk flight phases, key causal factors, and the potential of predictive models for safety enhancement.
Dr. Majumdar’s newly published work featured in the Arkansas News and Multiple Other Media Outlets
Dr. Majumdar’s newly published work featured in the Arkansas News and Multiple Other Media Outlets
June 30, 2025
New research from a U of A mechanical engineering assistant professor Neelakshi Majumdar investigates why inflight loss of control occurs in general aviation, which includes all civil flights except for commercial transports of people or cargo, and how pilots can prevent and recover from it. The work could improve pilot training and save lives.
The paper, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Air Transportation, is the first rigorous survey to ask surviving pilots why they experienced inflight loss of control and document the human factors that led to the incidents. Nearly 200 pilots completed the survey.
Link to Articles:
Celebrating the ASYST Class of 2025: Congratulations Lauren, Kacey, and Ryker!
Celebrating the ASYST Class of 2025: Congratulations Lauren, Kacey, and Ryker!
May 12, 2025
A great semester of undergraduate research at the ASYST Lab! This Spring, three of our undergraduate students graduated with successful honors theses and meaningful research outcomes.
Lauren Westfall (B.S. in Mechanical Engineering)
Ryker Davis (B.S. in Mechanical Engineering)
Kacey Haws (B.S. in Computer Science)
Congratulations to the Class of 2025 on their graduation. Wishing you both continued success ahead! Also, welcoming Ryker as a graduate student starting this Summer đź‘Ź
Jesse Pham won Third Prize in the Undergraduate Research Symposium Poster Competition!
Jesse Pham won Third Prize in the Undergraduate Research Symposium Poster Competition!
April 30, 2025
Jesse Pham, Mechanical Engineering sophomore student at the ASYST lab, presented his research, “Solo Versus Dual: A Comparative Analysis of Instructional General Aviation Accidents,” at the 2025 Honors Research Symposium. His study analyzed NTSB accident data to compare findings between solo and dual instructional flights, highlighting the need for stronger pre-solo training standards. Jesse’s work earned Third Prize in the Undergraduate Research Symposium Poster Competition and was supported by a grant from the University of Arkansas Honors College. Congratulations to Jesse!
Three Honors students present their work at the U of A Honors Research Symposium
Three Honors students present their work at the U of A Honors Research Symposium
April 28, 2025
Ryker Davis (senior), Kacey Haws (senior), and Jesse Pham (sophomore) presented their research, held as part of Undergraduate Research Week 2025 (https://news.uark.edu/articles/77288/join-the-libraries-and-the-honors-college-for-undergraduate-research-week-2025). Hosted by the Honors College, the symposium provided students an opportunity to showcase their research and creative projects to a broader audience, gaining valuable professional experience and feedback from faculty and peers. Their participation reflects the growing emphasis on undergraduate research at the University of Arkansas, where students have opportunities to engage in hands-on projects across a range of disciplines.Â
Graduate student Tolu Olatunji showcased her work at the Grad SWE poster presentation
Graduate student Tolu Olatunji showcased her work at the Grad SWE poster presentation
April 17, 2025
Tolu Olatunji presented her current work at the GradSWE (Society of Women Engineers) Academic Poster Competition on April 17, 2025. Her poster, “Assessing Pilots’ Proficiency in Aircraft Energy Management,” explored how pilots manage airspeed and energy during simulated flight scenarios. This analysis is based on an experiment designed and conducted by ASYST lab undergraduate researchers, Ryker Davis and Nina Kondur, in 2024. Hosted by the Society of Women Engineers, the event offered graduate students a platform to share research, connect with peers, and receive feedback.Â
ASYST Lab Welcomes New Frasca Flight Simulator for Advanced Research
ASYST Lab Welcomes New Frasca Flight Simulator for Advanced Research
April 4, 2025
We’re excited to announce the newest addition to the ASYST Lab, a state-of-the-art Frasca flight simulator (advanced aviation training device, AATD). This high-fidelity simulator marks a significant step forward in our lab’s capabilities, enabling cutting-edge research in aviation safety, autonomous systems, and human factors.
The Frasca simulator is equipped with advanced avionics and realistic flight controls, offering a highly immersive environment for both student training and research experiments. It will play a key role in supporting future research projects across multiple domains, including integration with unmanned systems. Dr. Majumdar, with her students, plan to use the simulator for advancing aviation safety and human factors considerations. We look forward to the exciting opportunities this technology will bring to our lab and collaborators in the aerospace research community.
Photo of Dr. Majumdar with Jason Clendenin, who is a Corporate Pilot at University of Arkansas and Air Force Reserve B-52 instructor pilot, assessing the simulator capabilities.
Congratulations Tolu for the Doctoral Academy Fellowship!
Congratulations Tolu for the Doctoral Academy Fellowship!
April 4, 2025
We are excited to welcome Toluwalase (Tolu) Olatunji as the newest Ph.D. student in the ASYST Lab, who joined us in January 2025. Tolu brings an outstanding academic background and has been awarded the prestigious Doctoral Academy Fellowship (DAF) to support her doctoral research. We look forward to the valuable contributions she will make to our research community!
Purdue and U of A Students Conduct Research with a Flight Simulator
Purdue and U of A Students Conduct Research with a Flight Simulator
July 21, 2024
Nina Kondur, an Aerospace Engineering senior from Purdue University, is working as a research assistant at the ASYST lab in Summer ’24. Meanwhile, Ryker Davis, a Mechanical Engineering senior from the University of Arkansas, has joined the research to evaluate pilots’ proficiency in energy management principles. In this photo, the student researchers are setting up the Redbird SD flight simulator at the Fayetteville Public Library for the research experiment with pilots. To learn more about this research and to participate in our study (if you are a student or certified pilot), click here:
Congratulations to Lauren and Samson for the Honors Research Grants!
Congratulations to Lauren and Samson for the Honors Research Grants!
July 20, 2024
Following Sydney Sommers's Honors Research Grant award in Spring 2024, we now have two more undergraduate students, Lauren Westfall and Samson Parker, who have secured the grant! This grant will help them support their honors thesis research starting Fall 2024.
Congratulations to Sydney Sommers on successfully completing her Honors Thesis!
Congratulations to Sydney Sommers on successfully completing her Honors Thesis!
July 1, 2024
Sydney was the first undergraduate student to join the ASYST Lab in 2023, a month into its inception. In her research, she analyzed General Aviation instructional accidents using the National Transportation Safety Board database.Â
Welcome Mehedi Hasan to the ASYST Lab!
Welcome Mehedi Hasan to the ASYST Lab!
January 10, 2024
Mehedi is a graduate student who completed his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology. Upon his arrival in Fayetteville, he found the place reminiscent of Darjeeling, a scenic town in the Himalayan foothills. Welcome Mehedi to this beautiful city and campus!
First set of undergraduate students joined the ASYST Lab!
First set of undergraduate students joined the ASYST Lab!
November 8, 2023
Sydney Sommers, Lauren Westfall, Ryker Davis, and Samson Parker have joined the ASYST Lab and are motivated to work towards their individual projects. More details coming soon!
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