A childhood hobby of assembling model airplanes ignited Bob Ash’s lifetime interest in aerospace and Mars. Bob, who grew up in Kansas, earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Kansas State University. For graduate work, Bob headed east to the Big Easy, a choice which would set the course for his future.

 

One of Bob’s professors was Ralph Roddy, the chair of Tulane University’s engineering department. Also at Tulane was Bob’s favorite professor, George Webb, the son of Lewis Webb Jr., Old Dominion University’s president. When ODU was looking for leadership at its engineering school, George convinced his dad to visit Tulane to meet Dr. Roddy. The die was cast. Dr. Roddy headed to Norfolk to head the engineering school.

 

At the time, Bob Ash was completing his PhD in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Initially, Bob thought he was headed to the corporate world and had an interview scheduled with RCA in Philadelphia. Why not visit Norfolk on the way back to Tulane….it couldn’t hurt.  So, Bob stopped by Norfolk and received a job offer to teach “for a year or two”  as Dr. Roddy convinced the newly minted PhD Bob Ash to join him.    

 

While Bob was at Tulane, George Webb’s sister, Mary Lewis Webb visited and met her brother’s student, Bob Ash. When Bob arrived on the ODU campus, it was so new that Bob commented that he was taller than the trees on campus.  From time to time, Mary Lewis would pop into the engineering school. Initially Bob thought that there was no way he would ever ask the daughter of the school’s president out on a date.  But after a couple of months, Bob did just that. They married a year later.

 

Bob, who is a professor and eminent scholar of mechanical and aerospace engineering, has taught at ODU for 47 years. Along the way, ODU developed a relationship with NASA Langley’s wind tunnel where generations of students have gotten hands on experience. ODU took over the operations of the wind tunnel in 1998. One of Bob’s favorite project at the wind tunnel was the testing of a Wright flyer. In the test, the aerodynamics of the early 20th century flyer were verified. Although the Wright brothers had dropped out of school, Bob commented that the Wright flyer’s engine was about 20 years ahead of its time. Bob also worked on turbulence at NASA Langley and discovered that riblets on an aircraft’s skin reduces friction.

 

Bob is well known for his work on Mars. In order to have travel to and from Mars, one of the thorny questions was how to power a rocket back to earth. Utilizing the data from the Mars’ rover, Bob and his students hypothesized that rocket fuel could be derived from the planet’s surface.  Although it took over 10 years, this hypothesis was supported when water was found on Mars. 

 

When Bob was appointed acting dean of the engineering school, Lewis Webb encouraged him to join Rotary. Webb,  who was president of our club in 1957 and 58, felt it would provide Bob with connections within the Norfolk community. Initially, Bob didn’t think his schedule would permit his participation but joined our club in 1983. Bob served as club president in 1993-1994 and today is the faculty advisor of the ODU Rotaract Club.   

 

Bob and Mary Lewis have two daughters and three grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, spending time with the grandchildren and gardening. Bob is also enjoys riding his bicycle.