AME Alumni Highlights: Alex Bryant and Dr. Levent Aktas

AME is delighted to have such talented Alumni who continue to make us proud after graduation. This month, we’re highlighting Dr. Levent Aktas, who received his Masters and Ph.D. from AME in 2002 and 2008 respectively, and Alex Bryant, who received his undergraduate aerospace degree in 2019 and master’s degree in 2020.

Levent Aktas, PhD

Current Position: Materials and Processes Lead Engineer at Boeing

Undergraduate and Graduate Experience:
BS, Middle East Technical University, 2001
MS, University of Oklahoma, 2002
Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 2008

As a Technical Lead Engineer at Boeing, I am responsible for maintaining materials and process specs, making sure appropriate processes are followed during the fabrication of composites, and qualification of all metal bond and composite aircraft components used in a multitude of platforms.

My graduate degree equipped me with a deeper knowledge of composites that separates me from other engineers in my company. In addition to specific technical skills, graduate studies equipped me with technical writing skills and communication skills that help me every day.

aktas@ou.edu

Alex Bryant

Current Position: Aeronautical Engineer, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

I have been working as an aircraft performance engineer during most of my time here at Lockheed. I have also had the opportunity to travel with the Stability & Control team for wind tunnel testing for several programs. In the next six months, I will be transitioning into a role on the conceptual design team within Lockheed’s Advanced Development Programs.

I was the aerodynamics lead for the aerospace capstone class Design-Build-Fly (DBF) team as a senior. Helped lead an underclassman aircraft construction project as a junior.

I specialized in aerodynamics for my Master’s Degree and took classes in advanced aerodynamics, composites, and computational fluid dynamics. My Master’s thesis topic was using a combination of experimental measurements and CFD to create a high fidelity propeller thrust model for use in US Navy UAVs.

My Master’s degree served me well in several ways. Teaching a wind tunnel lab section helped mold me into a better teacher, which, in addition to rehashing important material from undergrad, will serve me well when mentoring younger engineers someday. The advanced classes I took in aerodynamics and CFD have helped me in my current role within flight sciences. My thesis project forced me to put together my own schedule for research and testing and forced me to lean upon a broad base of knowledge from undergraduate courses. All of these experiences have helped mold me into a well-rounded engineer at Lockheed.

I would be lying if I said some of my favorite memories weren’t sports-related. I may be a nerd’s nerd, but I’m a sports junkie at heart. The countless OU football home games with Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, etc., watching OU softball win a national championship in person, I was spoiled as a sports fan. Some of my other favorite memories were the little things you don’t even realize you miss until much later, whether it’s getting donuts at 3AM or playing videogames until dawn with your roommates, the various projects that brought their fair share of frustration and elation, or just the general helter-skelter chaos of being on your own for the first time as a freshman. I’d do it all again (well, most of it, maybe not finals).

alexander.bryant@alumni.ou.edu

Graduate Student Alex Bryant is Hired by Lockheed Martin Skunkworks


Alex Bryant Skunkworks Lockheed Martin

Alex Bryant, a graduate student working towards his masters in Aerospace engineering, has been hired for a stability and control position at Lockheed’s Fort Worth, Texas Skunkworks group. Bryant will begin working for Lockheed Martin after graduation.

He will work as a stability and control engineer for approximately one year, at which point the company intends to move him into conceptual design for advanced programs.

 

“I’m looking forward to working on the cutting edge of the aerospace defense industry,” Bryant said. “Lockheed Martin ‘Skunkworks’ has been on the cutting edge of the aerospace world for over half a century now, and getting the opportunity to join their team in a role that suits my skill set is an incredible opportunity.”

 

Bryant said that he’s wanted to work for Lockheed since he was 12 years old. ‘Skunkworks’ was attached to every design he was interested in, and he says they’re the best at what they do.

 

“OU AME has equipped me with the knowledge and skills that Lockheed was looking for in my role,” Bryant said. The Wind Tunnel Laboratory and Flight Mechanics courses will be heavily drawn on at his job.

 

“Our aerospace pre-capstone and capstone courses were big reasons why I was specifically selected for this, as knowledge of aircraft sizing, trade studies, multi-variable optimization, and aircraft requirement-to-design processes was essential,” Bryant said.

This is one of the most competitive positions to be hired into, and Alex was selected over 55 other candidates from other big-name Universities including GT, A&M, and others. Congratulations Alex!