Where Are They Now?

In an effort to recognize the success of the AMA/Charles Hampson Grant Scholarship Program and share this information with all our members, we requested updates from past scholarship recipients. We will continue to share their stories in future issues. These young men are three of the scholarship recipients from the year 2000:

Scott Arfin 

Scott graduated summa cum laude in 2004 from Columbia University earning his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He continued his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is currently studying music theory and composition. He plans to earn his Master of Science degree in electrical engineering.

Scott joined the Analog VLSI & Biological Systems Group while studying at MIT. His research interests include analog filter design and low-power circuits for brain-machine interfaces. Scott is currently a Ph.D. candidate at MIT.

In his leisure time, Scott enjoys music and is a performing bass guitarist.

R. James Cotton

James graduated from Rice University in 2004, earning degrees in electrical engineering and biochemistry. He is currently a MD/Ph.D. student at Baylor College of Medicine.

James works in a system neuroscience laboratory where he studies how populations of neurons in the brain represent information.

William Pisano

In 2004, William graduated from the University of Colorado, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering. During his first year of graduate school at the University of Colorado, he worked on an RC-size autonomous helicopter carrying a radio transmitter, which was flown in front of meteorite radar antennas to determine the antenna pattern.

This project, which was the basis for his master’s thesis, was later tested in Colorado, Alaska, and the South Pole.

William was offered a grant to perform Ph.D.-level research on unmanned airplanes during his second year of graduate school. He designed electronics and avionics which, in 2006, had their first successful fully autonomous flight aboard a 20-ounce foam flying-wing airplane. He is currently researching using this autopilot system on a newly designed airframe with the goal of using it to carry a sensor payload into a hurricane or tornado to study their structures and better understand how they form.

William plans to earn his Ph.D. in December of 2008.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate these students and wish them the very best for continued success.

The AMA/Charles Hampson Grant Scholarship Program requirements and application can be obtained at www.modelaircraft.org/education/scholarships.aspx or by contacting AMA HQ at (765) 287-1256, ext. 516.