Etienne Demers Bouchard

Georgia Institute of Technology

Etienne Demers Bouchard received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universite de Sherbrooke in Canada. In 2013, he joined The Georgia Tech Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL), under the guidance of Dr. Mavris.

What impact has receiving the VFF scholarship had for you?

I attended the 2014 Forum as a co-author, and it was my first international conference experience. I was amazed by the breadth and depth of the various technical sessions, and I really enjoyed meeting participants from all over the world. My involvement with the Georgia Tech Chapter allowed me to meet students from various labs and learn about their projects. We also hosted distinguished guest’s lectures: all of them being very enriching. Finally, we have held a variety of events to promote STEM with elementary-school students. Seeing how vertical lift easily creates fascination in these younger students only motivates me more.

What are some of your current projects or research interests?

As part of the ASDL, my research focused on the systems level analysis of various concepts. These projects include the analysis of gyrocopter-type wind turbines and the technology impact assessment of future VTOL aircraft. One of the projects that motivated me the most was the design, fabrication and testing of the Pegasus human powered aircraft, as part of the capstone design project in Mechanical Engineering.

What do Etienne Demers's mentors have to say?

Ever since Etienne joined the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL) in 2013, he has been a hard worker and a leader, both in research and in extracurricular activities. He has developed a capability assessment tool for advanced vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles with the Army Research Lab, and analyzed novel electric VTOL concepts. Etienne also advises teams of other students through technical challenges and guides undergraduate researchers. Outside ASDL, Etienne is a member of the AIAA and vice president of the Georgia Tech chapter of the American Helicopter Society. He has presented at conferences for both organizations and contributed to multiple journals. Etienne’s initiative and passion have proved him to be an excellent scholar and engineer.

Dr. Dimitri Mavris
Regents Professor, Boeing Professor of Advanced Aerospace Systems Analysis, & Langley Distinguished Professor in Advanced Aerospace Systems Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology