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Iain Boyd1

Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
Iain D. Boyd is the H.T. Sears Memorial Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, and Director of the Center for National Security Initiatives at the University of Colorado. He received a Ph. D. in aeronautics and astronautics (1988) from the University of Southampton in England. He worked for four years at NASA Ames Research Center in the areas of aerothermodynamics and space propulsion. Dr. Boyd was a faculty member in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell University for six years. He joined the University of Michigan in 1999 and worked there for 20 years. His research interests involve the development and application of physical models and computational methods for analysis of nonequilibrium gas and plasma dynamics processes in aerospace systems. He has authored over 200 journal articles, more than 300 conference papers, and recently published a book entitled “Nonequilibrium Gas Dynamics and Molecular Simulation.” Dr. Boyd is a Fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA), and has received the 1998 AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award, the 1997 AIAA Electric Propulsion Best Paper Award, and the 2011 AIAA Thermophysics Best Paper Award. He is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Royal Aeronautical Society. Dr. Boyd was awarded the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Award for Exceptional Public Service for his leadership role in the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.

Global Geopolitics Series

Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system works well – here's how Hamas got around it

Oct 16, 2023 06:34 am UTC| Technology

Because of its unique national security challenges, Israel has a long history of developing highly effective, state-of-the-art defense technologies and capabilities. A prime example of Israeli military strength is the Iron...

Global Geopolitics Series

China's hypersonic missiles threaten US power in the Pacific – an aerospace engineer explains how the weapons work and the unique threats they pose

May 25, 2023 14:28 pm UTC| Politics

Chinas newest hypersonic missile, the DF-27, can fly as far as Hawaii, penetrate U.S. missile defenses and pose a particular threat to U.S. aircraft carriers, according to news reports of an assessment from the...

Global Geopolitics Series

Chinese spy balloon over the US: An aerospace expert explains how the balloons work and what they can see

Feb 05, 2023 10:27 am UTC| Politics

Officials of the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed on Feb. 2, 2023, that the military was tracking what it called a spy balloon that was drifting over the continental United States at an altitude of about 60,000 feet....

Global Geopolitics Series

A game of numbers: How air defense systems work and why Ukraine is eager for more protection

Oct 19, 2022 08:51 am UTC| Insights & Views

Ukraine has received a broad array of military supplies from the U.S. and other allies. Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an urgent plea specifically for additional air defense resources from the West...

Economy

China Imposes 55% Tariff on Beef Imports Above Quota to Protect Domestic Industry

China will impose an additional 55% tariff on beef imports that exceed newly set quota levels starting January 1, 2026, as part of safeguard measures aimed at protecting its domestic cattle industry. The policy will apply...

Trump Delays Tariff Increases on Furniture and Cabinets for One More Year

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday to delay planned tariff increases on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets, and bathroom vanities for an additional year, according to a statement from the...

USDA $12 Billion Farm Aid Program Draws Mixed Reactions from Row Crop Farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released new details on a $12 billion farm aid program aimed at supporting American farmers struggling with low crop prices and ongoing trade disputes. While the initiative is...

Japanese Business Leaders Urge Government Action as Weak Yen Strains Economy

Two of Japans most influential business lobbying groups have called on the government to address the prolonged weakness of the yen, warning that the depreciating currency is driving up import costs, fueling inflation, and...

South Korea Exports Hit Record High as Global Trade Momentum Builds

South Koreas exports surged for a seventh straight month in December, closing out 2025 at an all-time high and surpassing the $700 billion mark for the first time, according to official government data released on...

Politics

Zohran Mamdani Sworn In as New York City Mayor in Historic New Year Ceremony

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the new mayor of New York City just minutes into the New Year, marking the beginning of a historic and closely watched administration. The midnight oath-taking took place at the long-closed...

Trump Administration Cancels National Links Trust Lease for Washington Public Golf Courses

The Trump administration has canceled a long-term lease held by the nonprofit National Links Trust (NLT) to manage three major public golf courses in Washington, D.C., a move that has sparked controversy and raised...

Trump Administration Lifts Sanctions on Three Intellexa-Linked Executives

The administration of President Donald Trump has lifted U.S. sanctions on three executives previously linked to the controversial spyware consortium Intellexa, according to a notice published on the U.S. Treasury...

U.S. Intelligence Disputes Russia’s Claim of Ukrainian Drone Attack on Putin

U.S. national security officials have concluded that Ukraine did not attempt to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin or target one of his residences in a recent drone incident, according to a Wall Street Journal...

Pentagon Awards $328.5 Million Lockheed Martin Contract to Support Taiwan Air Force Amid Rising Tensions

The United States Department of Defense announced on Wednesday that Lockheed Martin has been awarded a major contract tied to foreign military sales to Taiwan, aimed at addressing what Washington describes as an urgent...

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

Google Accelerates AI Infrastructure With Ironwood TPU Expansion in 2026

Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is preparing for a major expansion of its AI infrastructure in 2026 as it moves its seventh-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), known as Ironwood, into mass deployment. This next phase marks a...

Neuralink Plans Automated Brain Implant Surgeries and Mass Production by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface startup Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, with plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to fully automated surgical procedures in...

SoftBank Completes $41 Billion OpenAI Investment in Historic AI Funding Round

SoftBank Group has officially completed a massive $41 billion investment in OpenAI, marking one of the largest private funding rounds in global technology history. The deal gives the Japanese conglomerate an estimated 11%...

Elon Musk’s xAI Expands Supercomputer Infrastructure With Third Data Center to Boost AI Training Power

Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has acquired a third building to further expand its computing infrastructure, signaling a major step in the companys effort to compete with...

ByteDance Plans Massive AI Chip Spending Boost as Nvidia Demand Grows in China

Chinas technology giant ByteDance is preparing to significantly ramp up its artificial intelligence investment, with plans to spend about 100 billion yuan (approximately $14 billion) on AI chips in 2026, according to a...