Dr. Lesley Wright is among the latest class of associate fellows for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The honor recognizes recipients for their exceptional engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession.
The distinction of associate fellow recognizes the contribution of important engineering or scientific work advancing the arts, sciences or technology of aeronautics or astronautics, according to the AIAA.
Wright is associate professor and holder of the Jana and Quentin A. Baker ’78 Career Development Professorship in the J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. She is also a member of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station's Turbomachinery Laboratory and the Center for Advanced Small Modular and Micro Nuclear Reactors.
She earned her doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M in 2006.
"Being selected as an AIAA associate fellow is an honor and a blessing," Wright said. "The recognition is based on outstanding contributions to the field of aeronautics and astronautics. It is a great feeling for experts within my community to recognize our research group's sustained, high-quality work."
Wright's research focuses on gas turbine cooling and heat transfer, convective cooling technology, heat transfer enhancement, and heat transfer and fluid mechanics experimentation.
She primarily attributes her selection for this honor to her work improving the performance of gas turbine engines, particularly in developing cooling technology in the hopes of increasing both power production and efficiency.