UAH College of Science receives $75K donation from Astrion to support new anechoic chamber initiative
Tom Vice, chairman and CEO of Astrion (second from right), presents a $75,000 check to Dr. Rainer Steinwandt, dean of the College of Science at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) at Astrion's corporate office in Huntsville, AL. Also pictured are Mimmo DeMartino (far left) and Dave Brost (far right).
The College of Science at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has received a $75,000 donation from Astrion, an aerospace and defense company headquartered in Huntsville. The donation will help support the anechoic chamber initiative, a facility where students will test the antennas, sensors and Radio Frequency (RF) systems that underpin modern defense and aerospace capabilities. This hands-on facility will help prepare students for the workforce by connecting academics with direct experience in testing environments similar to those used by leading defense contractors and government agencies.
Astrion Chairman and CEO Tom Vice presented the donation to support the initiative, reinforcing the company's belief that building mission advantage and strengthening national security begins long before a mission starts, in local classrooms and research labs.
Astrion chairman and CEO Tom Vice (right) tours a Laser Chemistry Lab in the College of Science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) with Dr. Olaf Nachtigall (left), assistant professor in the UAH Department of Chemistry.
“The growing partnership with Astrion fully aligns with our strategic priorities of serving our community and connecting our students with partners,” says College of Science dean Dr. Rainer Steinwandt. “I am very grateful to Tom Vice and his team for the scientific opportunities that this gift creates for our students and faculty.”
An anechoic chamber is a testing space engineered and designed to absorb reflections of sound or electromagnetic waves. An RF anechoic chamber is lined with specialized foam pyramids to absorb incoming radio waves rather than reflecting them back. The room is protected against outside interference, like cell phones and wireless networks. By eliminating external noise and internal reflections, the chamber allows researchers to test electronics, sensors and radar systems under pristine conditions.
Dr. Roderick Davidson, research assistant professor in the Department of Physics, will work with the students on these initiatives and sees immense potential in the donation. “Astrion’s support will allow us to train the next generation of RF scientists and engineers. The students working on these projects will fuel innovation in this field throughout Huntsville.”
Following the check presentation, Vice made a separate visit to the College of Science to view research labs and specialized equipment supporting student and faculty work. In the Department of Chemistry, he visited Dr. Olaf Nachtigall’s lab, where students explore advanced concepts in laser chemistry. His visit also included laboratories in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and wrapped up with a lab tour by Dr. Subramania Athiray Panchapakesan, assistant professor in the Department of Space Science, focusing on space instrumentation.