Tamas Havar, Ph.D., serves as GS4 Symposium keynote speaker
Tamas Havar, Ph.D., principal engineer at Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, will serve as the keynote speaker for the Georgia Southern Student Scholar Symposium (GS4). The event will take place at the Armstrong Campus’ Student Union on April 21, and on the Statesboro Campus’ Russell Union on April 23.
As the University's largest multidisciplinary student-led research symposium, GS4 serves a dual purpose. It not only showcases students’ research, but it also helps them learn from one another. The latter has been a guiding principle for Havar throughout his time in the aviation industry.
Havar leads Gulfstream’s efforts to 3D-print next-generation aircraft interiors. Havar has also worked for aviation giants like Airbus and Boeing and holds several patents.
He attributes his professional success to maintaining the right perspective, something he hopes to convey to students during his address.
“We’re always working as a team,” he said. “We never work as individuals, and that’s led to success no matter where I’ve been.”
He adds that it’s essential for young researchers to reframe their view of failure, a lesson he learned firsthand.
“At Airbus, we were working on a new lightweight composite flap for an aircraft,” he recalls. “Our team experienced a few failures during the project’s early stages, but they actually provided us with a roadmap toward a workable solution. Failure isn’t an end; it’s just a part of the journey.”
This kind of reframing can also apply to the current technological landscape, said Havar, whose keynote address will cover what he calls the “innovation hype curve,” described as the interest in a new technology.
While artificial intelligence is the most obvious example, Havar says this phenomenon can occur in any field. He adds that it’s important to be “open but cautious.”
“Before drawing any conclusions about a given technology, it’s important that we understand its strengths and weaknesses,” he says. “Once we fully comprehend that, we can begin to put the technology to good use at the proper scale.”
Havar recognizes the importance of mastering a specialty, but emphasizes that a broader perspective can contribute just as much, if not more, to success in research.
“I’ve learned that being effective is about understanding the broader ecosystem, seeing where I fit, and recognizing the needs of other teams and technologies along the way,” he explains. When we’re willing to go the extra mile for each other and truly see the full picture, we become better researchers and build innovation as a team.”
For more information on Havar and GS4, click here.
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