Iowa State recently named Bong Wie as the first endowed Vance D. Coffman Faculty Chair in Aerospace Engineering.

“We were actively recruiting for this position, and we are extremely pleased with our choice in Dr. Wie,” said Mark Kushner, dean of the college of engineering. “He’s at the front of the field in aerospace controls.”

The position was recently created with the help of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, which endowed the position with $1.5 million. Coffman served as the CEO of Lockheed from 1998 until his retirement in 2004. He graduated from Iowa State in 1967 with a degree in aerospace engineering.

“We would like to be recognized as one of the top schools in the country in the field of aerospace controls,” said Tom Shih, professor and chairman in aerospace engineering. “We felt that Dr. Wie, an international authority in the field, would help us achieve that.”

Some of Wie’s past research includes extensive work on space vehicle dynamics and control, and solar sail flight control system development. He has written a popular textbook, Space Vehicle Dynamics and Control, and a large number of journal papers.

“Dr. Wie has done some impressive work in this field, including working on the Hubble Space Telescope controls and applying his work on solar sails to asteroid deflection techniques,” Kushner said.

Being named to this position adds to Wie’s long list of accomplishments.

“A position like this is really an honor, not just some title to pad a resume,” said Kim Kindvall, assistant director of communications for the Iowa State University Foundation. “Schools typically use positions like this to recruit and retain top faculty. We are really excited with the appointment of Dr. Wie.”

Wie earned his doctorate from Stanford University in 1981. After a short teaching stay at the University of Texas, he joined the faculty at Arizona State in 1989, where he will stay until he assumes his position here in August.

“Once he takes the position, his responsibility will be teaching first,” Shih said.

Wie will be required to do all the things a normal professor does – teach at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and participate in a vigorous research program. But being a faculty chairman also gives him a little extra to work with. He is able to use part of his income to fund things that he would see as worth their price where others wouldn’t, such as a few scholarships, or extra research projects.

“These discretionary funds are incorporated as part of the procedure in setting up a position like this,” Kindvall said.

“It’s part of the appeal of the position; it gives them a little more flexibility in how they can do their job.”