The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Aerospace Propulsion Outreach Program (APOP) will hold their 16th annual conference poster session at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, April 17, 2025, from noon to 3 p.m.
APOP is a partnered outreach program for engineers who are entering the workforce. The event allows university engineering students an opportunity to work with Air Force engineers and challenges them to modify small gas turbine engines and innovate on current turbine engine designs. The conference provides students an opportunity to present their designs to AFRL and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC).
The primary sponsors of the conference are AFRL and the AFLCMC Propulsion Directorate, joining forces to provide funds and mentors for the event.
The APOP conference started in 2009 with four universities participating and has grown to 19 in 2025. Every year, APOP tasks students to address a specific challenge with this year’s being variable nozzle technology. Challenges in past conferences have included maximum thrust/weight and electronic power generation.
The poster session will allow students to present their designs in an open forum, including table displays where observers can get an overview of their projects. For many years, APOP has been an effective recruiting tool for several Air Force components with multiple new personnel joining AFRL after their experience with the APOP. AFRL is unmatched in terms of talented people and world-class facilities that allow the lab to accelerate technology development.
The following colleges and universities will be participating in this year’s event:
- Miami (Ohio) University
- Michigan Technological University
- New Mexico State
- Ohio University
- Ohio State University
- Oklahoma Christian University
- Oklahoma State University
- Oregon State University
- Tuskegee University
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Dayton
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Michigan
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Wisconsin
- Wright State University
- Brigham Young University
- Cedarville University
- University of North Dakota
It’s an honor to support such an innovative and growing program for our university participants,” said 1st Lt. Madelyn Pratt, AFRL Aerospace Systems Directorate. “The Air Force’s many technical experts who support the program share their experiences as mentors and that insight truly allows students to dig deeper into innovative design challenges.”