News Research Mechanical Science and Engineering BY April 7, 2017 Share Bloomberg (April 5) – Boeing Co. and JetBlue Airways Corp. are investing in a startup to develop an electric-powered aircraft with the potential to transform short-haul flights. “It’s a wonderful opportunity,” says Andrew Alleyne, the director of the National Science Foundation’s Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems and a professor of mechanical science and engineering at Illinois. “But it comes with some serious technology challenges.” News Archive