by Rich Stratton, Assistant Director of Public Relations
Cedarville University made its debut at the 16th annual Aerospace Propulsion Outreach Program (APOP) poster session on April 17, presenting an innovative variable nozzle design at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
Hosted by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in collaboration with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Propulsion Directorate, APOP provides undergraduate engineering students with a hands-on opportunity to collaborate with Air Force engineers on real-world aerospace propulsion challenges.
This year’s challenge focused on variable nozzle technology — a critical component in modern gas turbine engine design. Cedarville’s team, composed of senior mechanical engineering majors Isaiah Hansen (Denver, Pennsylvania), Grant Weise (Mogadore, Ohio), Chris Tooill (Sabina, Ohio) and Grant Goodrich (Vienna, Virginia), presented their design alongside students from 18 other institutions, including The Ohio State University, the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Joseph Miller, associate professor of mechanical engineering, who served alongside Dr. Timothy Dewhurst, senior professor of mechanical engineering, as APOP team advisor, emphasized the importance of the program in preparing students for engineering careers.
“The APOP project provides our senior design students with an opportunity to apply rigorous technical analysis with practical hands-on manufacturing, all within the context of an aerospace engineering project with realism,” said Miller. “This experience is unique within undergraduate engineering projects but critical for preparing our students to excel in the engineering vocation.”
In addition to tackling the technical challenge of designing and building an actuated variable nozzle, Cedarville’s team developed a jet engine testing station on campus — an initiative led by the seniors and supported by underclassmen. This facility enabled rapid prototype evaluation and helped validate the team’s design through numerical modeling.
The team's efforts culminated in a successful live demonstration at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton on April 11. According to Miller, Cedarville’s nozzle performance drew praise from the APOP program manager for its engineering quality and consistent results.
“As a first-year APOP team, our seniors took on an enormous task,” Miller said. “The repeatability and reproducibility of Cedarville's nozzle performance was highlighted by the Air Force program manager, who specifically noted the quality of engineering demonstrated by the Cedarville APOP team.”
First launched in 2009 with only four participating schools, APOP has grown to include 19 universities in 2025. The program challenges students each year with a new engineering focus, such as maximum thrust-to-weight ratio and electric power generation in previous competitions.
The poster session format offered students a platform to present their work in an open forum, using table displays to share their designs and development process with AFRL engineers and industry experts.
With a strong showing in its inaugural year, Cedarville University has joined the growing list of institutions contributing to cutting-edge research and innovation in aerospace propulsion through the APOP initiative.
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate programs across arts, sciences, and professional fields. With 6,384 students, it ranks among Ohio's largest private universities and is recognized by The Wall Street Journal as being among the nation’s top three evangelical universities. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics, and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.
