Randolph-Macon College alumnus Roland Bowles ’58 has been selected to receive the 2018 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Losey Atmospheric Sciences Award.
The award is presented in recognition of outstanding contributions to the atmospheric sciences as applied to the advancement of aeronautics and astronautics.

Bowles will receive an engraved medal and certificate of citation on June 26 at the 2018 AIAA Aviation Forum and Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia. The citation will read: “For his outstanding scholarship and leadership that has led to a better understanding and mitigation of aviation hazards (wind shear, convection-induced turbulence, and wake turbulence).”

Bowles is an aerospace researcher who worked at NASA Langley Research Center from 1960-1996 in a variety of research and management positions. Currently a NASA DRA (Distinguished Research Associate), his research is focused on aircraft-generated wake vortices as related to aviation safety.

RMC Connections
Since retiring from NASA, Bowles has been an active part of the Randolph-Macon College physics and mathematics departments. He regularly attends the college’s mathematics and physics seminars and has worked closely with three Randolph-Macon students as a mentor on significant research projects. Bowles currently mentors Ashley Easterling ’19, an engineering physics and economics major.

Physics Professor Rachele Dominguez says, “Dr. Bowles’ relationship to the physics department highlights our remarkable and connected community of alumni that spans generations. His mentorship has offered our students opportunities to develop their skills in the context of real-world problems with a unique one-on-one relationship with a NASA scientist.”

The Research
Bowles is mentoring Easterling in researching vortices that are generated by airplanes.

“We are studying the mathematics and physics of the creation of these vortices by the generating/leading aircraft and the effect the vortices have on following aircraft, as this determines the separation distance between the two planes,” she explains.
The research that Easterling and Bowles are doing is particularly applicable as the airline industry continues to grow, resulting in more air traffic arriving at and departing from airports.

“While traveling, if you find yourself waiting on the runway for an extended period, vortices generated by the planes in front of yours are likely a component of your delayed flight,” says Easterling. “This aspect of our research also ties into my economics major, as travel delays due to the separation distance can have far-reaching economic impacts.”

Mentorship
Easterling, a Presidential Scholarship recipient, says that Bowles’ expertise is invaluable.

“His knowledge, along with his experience from many years at NASA and his access to documents concerning airplane specifications, are vital to the success of this research,” she says. “Additionally, Dr. Bowles shows me how things I learn in my classes apply to our research, and he emphasizes the importance of pursuing something because I am passionate about it. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Bowles; his knowledge and enthusiasm inspire me.” Easterling is a recipient of the Watts Scholarship for Physics and a member of the Honors program, Pi Mu Epsilon, Sigma Pi Sigma, and Omicron Delta Epsilon.

Alumni Success
A departmental award named after Bowles is presented each year to an outstanding RMC physics major.

Former Bowles mentee and award recipient Eric Montag ’17 is now a staff scientist at Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center. He says that the collaboration he had with Bowles helped to prepare him for the working environment he encountered outside of college.

“It was great just being able to ask him questions not directly related to research, but how to approach problems at a working level,” says Montag. “It helped me to become efficient in my learning, and ready to collaborate with other scientists with different expertise.”

Steven Lohrey ’16, a former Bowles mentee and award recipient, is now a physicist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division.

“I met Dr. Bowles at a mathematics seminar at Randolph-Macon,” says Lohrey. “He was looking for a student to assist him in a research project. The research we conducted on aircraft wake vortices was often very challenging, but Dr. Bowles took the time to teach and mentor me through the entire 18-month process. I matured as a student, learned valuable skills and developed my interest in the field of aerospace. I am so thankful for the work that Dr. Bowles and I did together, and I am happy that he and I still stay in touch.”

During their tenure at RMC, Montag and Lohrey each received the Best Undergraduate Paper award in the physics and mathematics section from the Virginia Academy of Science.

Bowles earned his B.S. in physics and mathematics at RMC, his M.S. in physics at University of Richmond, and his Ph.D. in applied mathematics at University of Virginia. In 1994, the RMC Society of Alumni presented him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.