Joel Madison receives Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award

2/28/2019

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Joel Madison, a 1988 aerospace engineering alumnus, was recently named one of 12 recipients of the 2019 Penn State Outstanding Engineering Alumni (OEA) Award.
 
The award, established in 1966, is the highest honor bestowed by the College of Engineering and recognizes graduates who have reached exceptional levels of professional achievement.

Madison received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno before coming to Penn State for his master’s degree in aerospace engineering.

What sparked his interest in aerospace engineering? Nothing more than a feeling.

“I never had that ‘a-ha’ moment that made me want to be an aerospace engineer,” said Madison. “I just always had an interest in aerospace, and it was in my head since I was quite young that I’d go to school to become an aerospace engineer. It was automatic for me.”

Being from Elko, Nevada, he didn’t have any local options for earning a graduate degree in aerospace engineering, forcing him to look at universities away from home. Luckily, Penn State was on his “top 10 list” of best aerospace engineering schools.

“The whole aspect of State College and how different it would be from the West Coast was intriguing,” said Madison. “I thought it would be kind of an adventure to go from Nevada to Pennsylvania. It worked out that I was admitted to the University and received funding, and Penn State turned out to be the right decision and best fit for me.”

Following graduation, Madison embarked on a career that would start in the aerospace industry but see him transition to a completely different industry, only to return “home” to aerospace years later.

His first job was as a member of the technical staff with the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell International (known today as Aerojet-Rocketdyne), an American rocket engine design and production company headquartered in Canoga Park, California. There, he played a key role in the company’s hypersonic engine program—designing and testing hypersonic scramjet components to be used in the National Aerospace Plane (NASP) X-30 single-stage-to-orbit engine concept. One of the goals of a future NASP was a passenger liner that could take off from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., accelerate up to 25 times the speed of sound and fly to Tokyo within two hours.

After seven years at Rocketdyne, Madison left the company to go into the oil and gas industry.

“The aerospace industry, in general, was facing some uncertainty and change in 1995. It did not look likely that the hypersonics program would transition to full production, and as a result of the strategic treaties with Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Rocketdyne was choosing to focus on agreements to produce a different engine. Plus, there was not a next generation of the Space Shuttle in the works,” said Madison. “That meant that the opportunities for me to make an impact at Rocketdyne were diminishing.”

As a result, in 1995, he went to work for Ebara International Corporation in Sparks, Nevada, as a project engineer in its Cryodynamics® division. There, he was responsible for the design, development, production and testing of cryogenic process pumps and liquified natural gas loading pumps for several large international projects.

“As the basis for the Ebara product line was submerged cryogenic turbomachinery, it was a natural technical fit for me to move to that industry,” said Madison. “In addition, it provided me with an opportunity for commercial business management growth and extensive international business experience, which are great learning and growth opportunities.”

Madison steadily progressed through the ranks at Ebara, being named chief engineer of the Cryodynamics® division in 2000, then taking on the role of president/chief operating officer (COO) in 2003. He was named president/chief executive officer in 2006.

He held the position for seven years, and under his leadership, he turned a $4 million operating loss into $35 million operating profit annually, increased total revenue from $63 million to more than $200 million and maintained a 60 percent market share of the cryogenic submerged motor pump industry.

In 2014, Madison made his way back to the aerospace industry.

“There were a few factors for my returning, and as always, timing is everything,” said Madison. “We were at a very stable point at Ebara with a saturated market, so there were not a lot of growth opportunities left. At the same time, commercial space had been surging, and there was what you could call a renaissance with all of the new concepts being brought to market.”

One of the companies bringing those concepts to market was Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), a multi-billion-dollar company that focuses on space systems, commercial aviation solutions and national security and defense, and that employs approximately 4,000 people in 33 domestic and international locations.

“SNC was also located in Sparks, and the company was growing rapidly. I had gotten to know the owners, who are great people, and I got to know more about all of the great work they had been doing not only with space but for many areas of defense and border security,” said Madison. “The thought of returning to my roots in aerospace was too compelling to ignore, and I worked with the owners to transition into the right role in their company. One of the best decisions I’ve made—right up there with going to Penn State.”

Madison took on the role of corporate vice president for SNC, and after four successful years in that position, he was promoted to his current position as COO. As COO, he oversees the departments of engineering, program management, operations, quality management, procurement, information technology, physical and industrial security, safety, facilities and crisis management.

One of his major responsibilities is overseeing the development of SNC’s Dream Chaser® spacecraft—a multi-mission space utility vehicle designed for transporting crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit destinations such as the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft was selected by NASA to provide cargo delivery and return and disposal service for ISS. It will carry critical supplies like food, water and science experiments, and provide a minimum of six cargo missions to and from ISS starting in late 2020.

Madison credits his aerospace engineering degree for a large part of his career success.

“My aerospace engineering degree wasn’t easy to get through, by any means,” said Madison. “But I gained more than just engineering skills. The environment in the aerospace engineering department laid a good foundation—nobody was there to hold my hand, so you either got the work done or failed. It taught me self-management and how to manage both peers and my ‘bosses.’ I gained valuable people skills that taught me how to survive in the real world, and that really helped propel my career.”

Madison resides in Reno, Nevada, with his wife, Kim.

Along with the College’s other 11 OEA Award recipients, Madison will receive his award at a ceremony on April 8 at the Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus.

 

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Chris Spallino

cjs53@psu.edu

Joel Madison was named the 2019 Outstanding Engineering Alumni for the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

Joel Madison was named the 2019 Outstanding Engineering Alumni for the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

“I never had that ‘a-ha’ moment that made me want to be an aerospace engineer,” said Madison. “I just always had an interest in aerospace, and it was in my head since I was quite young that I’d go to school to become an aerospace engineer. It was automatic for me.”

 
 

About

The Penn State Department of Aerospace Engineering, established in 1961 and the only aerospace engineering department in Pennsylvania, is consistently recognized as one of the top aerospace engineering departments in the nation, and is also an international leader in aerospace education, research, and engagement. Our undergraduate program is ranked 15th and our graduate programs are ranked 15th nationally by U.S. News & World Report, while one in 25 holders of a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering in the U.S. earned it from Penn State. Our students are consistently among the most highly recruited by industry, government, and graduate schools nationwide.

The department is built upon the fundamentals of academic integrity, innovation in research, and commitment to the advancement of industry. Through an innovative curriculum and world-class instruction that reflects current industry practice and embraces future trends, Penn State Aerospace Engineering graduates emerge as broadly educated, technically sound aerospace engineers who will become future leaders in a critical industry

Department of Aerospace Engineering

229 Hammond Building

The Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA 16802

Phone: 814-865-2569