In 2014, Hareen Aparakakankanange became the new owner and CEO of AEROLAB. He is committed to continuing AEROLAB’s longstanding reputation for innovative, highly accurate wind tunnel designs.
To do so, he has assembled a team of expert engineers with strong technical backgrounds and knowledge, including Dr. Jewel Barlow, author of the renowned book Low Speed Wind Tunnel Testing.
Hareen himself has an extensive background, his prior experience at the Glenn L Martin Wind Tunnel (GLMWT) informs his approach today at AEROLAB. At the tunnel, Hareen tested wind tunnels for clients; now, his perspective helps him evaluate designs not only to ensure they meet strict research specifications, but also to understand how easy they are for students to use.
He is a former employee of AEROLAB, having designed, fabricated, and calibrated supersonic, transonic, and subsonic wind tunnels and associated equipment as an aeronautical/mechanical engineer from 2003 to 2007. He also developed expertise during that time by collaborating with machinists to communicate design and fabrication requirements and learning what it takes to produce a wind tunnel of AEROLAB’s high caliber.
Hareen holds a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering and a master’s in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland. Hareen takes advantage of opportunities with the latest wind tunnel technology and pioneers new ways to refine and optimize wind tunnels. He brings these fresh ways of thinking to bear in AEROLAB’s designs, which are both inventive and highly customized to meet researchers’ and educators’ needs.