October 2000 Newsletter - Naval Postgraduate School

FACULTY AWARDS
NPS FACULTY MEMBER RECOGNIZED FOR DISTINGUISHED CIVILIAN SERVICE
The Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award was presented
to Professor Rudolf Panholzer, Dean of Science and Engineering
and Chair of the Space Systems Academic Group, for
distinguished service as a Professor at the Naval Postgraduate
School since January 1964, and as the Chairman of the Space
Systems Academic Group, involved since its inception in July
1982. During this period Dr. Panholzer distinguished himself
by developing NPS into a national center of excellence in
space education and research demonstrated by landmark
projects such as CHALLENGE ATHENA, and culminating
in the launch of the Petite Amateur Navy Satellite (PANSAT)
from the Space Shuttle DISCOVERY on 29 October 1998.
The development of PANSAT was the direct result of Dr.
Panholzer’s leadership and drive involving 51 students’
Masters-level theses over the period March 1989 until the
satellite was launched during STS-95. His vision resulted not
only in a revolutionary first in satellite spread-spectrum
communications, but also an amazing educational breakthrough
- a real space vehicle and communications payload,
on orbit. This was a monumental task for a small group of
educators and researchers independent of national space
installations.
Dr. Panholzer’s selfless leadership and drive are universally
lauded by his many students and faculty who hold him in the
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Professor Robert Ball
received the DOT&E/LFT “Art Stein Memorial Cup for
Excellence” at the Live Fire Test and Evaluation National
Workshop held at the University of Texas in Austin on 8-12
May 2000. Professor Ball has been a major force in efforts to
establish survivability as a design discipline for many years.
The Joint Technical Coordinating Group on Aircraft Survivability
(JTCG/AS), established in 1971 as a result of the very
large number of U.S. aircraft lost in Vietnam, had a primary
goal of establishing aircraft combat survivability (ACS) as a
design discipline. Dr. Ball believed that in order for combat
survivability to become an accepted design discipline, an
educational program must be developed. In 1977, while on
the faculty of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), he developed the
first combat survivability course ever to be offered at an
educational institution as part of their regular curriculum.
Survivability is now a part of the Educational Skill Require-
Professor Rudolf Panholzer (right) with the Honorable
H. Lee Buchanan, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
Research, Development and Acquisitions, tour the
“PANSAT” Lab during a recent visit.
highest regard and deepest affection, which is the ultimate
tribute. His undying loyalty and inspiring dedication to duty
reflect great credit upon himself and the Naval Postgraduate
School which is in keeping with the highest traditions of the
Department of the Navy.
DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR EMERITUS RECEIVES ART STEIN MEMORIAL CUP FOR
EXCELLENCE
ments for the NPS Aeronautical Engineering Curriculum.
Professor Ball has written the only textbook on survivability,
The Fundamentals of Aircraft Combat Survivability Analysis
and Design. His textbook was sponsored by the JTCG/AS
and published in 1985 by the American Institute of Aeronautics
and Astronautics (AIAA) as part of their Educational
Series. AIAA has sold approximately 10,000 copies (with over
3000 going to DoD), and the book has been a ‘best seller’ for
the AIAA for many years. The book has been widely recognized
as a major factor in formally establishing survivability as
a design discipline and has been used throughout the survivability
design, analysis, and test community, both government
and industry, as well as in educating program managers and
other high level acquisition community members.
Professor Ball retired from the Naval Postgraduate School
in November 1998 as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus. He
works as a consultant and is continuing work on the 2 nd
edition of his survivability textbook for the JTCG/AS.
NPS Research page 32
October 2000