Plasmadynamics & Lasers Award Open for Nominations 10 November 2024 15 January 2026

Established as a separate award in 1991, the Plasmadynamics & Lasers Award is presented for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the physical properties and dynamical behavior of matter in the plasma state and lasers as related to need in aeronautics and astronautics.

This annual award is generally presented at the AIAA AVIATION Forum/ASCEND.

Deadlines:
Accepting Online Nominations: 10 November
Nomination Deadline: 15 January
Endorsement Letters Deadline: 1 February

Award Recipients

2024

  • Dr Kurt A Polzin
    NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
    Awarded
    Award: 2024 AIAA Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award
    AIAA Citation: For seminal modeling of pulsed inductive plasma accelerators providing both a fundamental understanding of underlying physics and practical approaches to optimization of energy deposition.

2022

  • Prof Sergey O Macheret
    Purdue University
    Awarded
    Award: 2022 AIAA Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award
    AIAA Citation: “For pioneering work on novel plasma generation and control methods and on aerospace applications of plasmas.”

2021

  • Dr David L Carroll
    CU Aerospace LLC
    Awarded
    Award: 2021 AIAA Plasmadynamics & Lasers Award
    AIAA Citation: For scientific enhancement and innovation of high energy lasers and plasma-driven devices, entrepreneurial aerospace leadership, and education of scientist engineers.

2020

  • Dr Mikhail N Shneider
    Princeton University
    Awarded
    Award: 2020 Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award
    AIAA Citation: For seminal contributions to the theory and modeling of electric discharges and theoretical foundations of diagnostics based on coherent microwave and laser scattering

2019

  • Dr James A Horkovich
    AEgis Technologies
    Awarded
    Award: 2019 Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award
    AIAA Citation: For professional commitment and leadership, education and mentoring of scientist engineers, and distinguished contributions to science and innovation of directed energy systems.”

2018

  • Prof Martin A Gundersen
    University of Southern California
    Awarded
    Award: 2018 Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award
    AIAA Citation: For development of high-voltage pulse power technology, studies of non-equilibrium nanosecond pulse plasmas, and their applications for plasma assisted combustion, pollution control, quantum electronics, and biology.
  • Mr Akshay S Deshpande
    Awarded-CoRecipients
    Award: 2018 Plasmadynamics and Lasers Best Student Paper
    AIAA Citation: "Supersonic Flow Control of Swept Shock Wave / Turbulent Boundary Layer Interactions using Plasma Actuators" (AIAA 2017-3479)

2017

  • Prof Valentin A Bityurin
    Joint Institute for High Temperatures RAS
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: In recognition of a distinguished professional career with seminal scientific contributions to the theoretical and experimental understanding of plasma physics, magnetohydrodynamic energy conversion, and plasma-magneto-aerodynamics

2016

  • Dr Eric J Jumper
    University of Notre Dame
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For major contributions in the fields of aero-optics, chemical lasers, and laser supported detonation, and for the mentoring of young engineers and scientists.

2015

  • Dr Philip E Cassady
    Awarded
    Award: -
    AIAA Citation: For distinguished contributions to the development of aero-optics and high power laser fluid dynamics.

2014

  • Dr John T Lineberry
    lytec llc
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: In Recognition of a Distinguished Career in Plasmadynamics and Magnetohydrodynamics, for Major Contributions to Terrestrial and Aerospace Applications, and Fostering of Scientific and Technological Advancements through International Collaborations and AIAA.

2013

  • Joseph Verdeyen
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For major contributions in the fields of gas and semiconductor lasers, plasma discharge technologies, and the mentoring of young engineers and scientists.

2012

  • Prof Richard B Miles
    Texas A&M University
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For pioneering work in plasma diagnostics, understanding of nonequilibrium plasma behavior, and use of plasmadynamics and magnetohydrodynamics for flow control.

2011

  • Prof Chul Park
    Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: In recognition of a distinguished career in the science of plasmadynamics to enhance understanding of plasma around atmospheric entry vehicles through development of novel experiments and of fundamental theoretical models.

2010

  • Mr. Sterge T Demetriades
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: In recognition of a distinguished career in plasma physics, plasmadynamics, and magnetohydrodynamic technology providing major contributions to enhance the understanding of plasma processes and MHD systems for terrestrial and aerospace applications.

2009

  • Dr Charles W Clendening
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For distinguished contributions to the development of scalable high energy chemical oxygen-iodine lasers and the application of high power laser technology.

2008

  • Dr J William Rich
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For outstanding achievements in development of molecular gas lasers, studies of low temperature plasmas, nonequilibrium reactng flows, molecular energy transfer and nonequilibrium chemical reactions.

2007

  • Dr George W Sutton
    SPARTA, Inc.
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For pioneering work in laser aero-optics in the development of high power gas lasers, both pulsed and continuous wave, and in laser effects.

2006

  • Mr. Hiroyuki Yamasaki
    Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: In recognition of a distinguished career in the advancement of closed cycle, non-equilibrium MHD power technology with pioneering accomplishments in defining plasma discharge structure, ionization stability, and MHD disk generator optimization.

2005

  • Dr Wayne C Solomon
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For significant contributions to the technology of HF, DF, and COIL lasers and the mentoring of young engineers and scientists who have become leaders in the laser technology.

2004

  • Dr Joseph J Shang
    Wright State University
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: In recognition of a distinguished career with pioneering contributions in the development of advanced computing procedures for simulation of Aerodynamics, Electromagnetics, Non-Equilibrium Reacting Flows, and Plasma-Magneto-Aerodynamics Interaction.

2003

  • Tom R Brogan
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: In recognition of a distinguished career in the science of magnetohydrodynamics providing major contributions to the enhanced understanding of MHD processes and the design of MHD power systems for terrestrial and aerospace platforms.

2002

  • Dr Yuri P Raizer
    Russian Academy of Sciences-Institute for Problems in Mechanics
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For lifelong original contributions to shock wave physics, gasdynamics, explosion physics, gas discharge physics, and interaction of laser radiation with plasmas.

2001

  • Dr George Emanuel
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For pioneering analysis work on Chemical Lasers and Invention of a CW chemically pumped visible ultraviolet laser based controlled condensation.

2000

  • Dr Wheeler K McGregor
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: In recognition of a distinguished career in the fields of plasmadynamics and lasers with special recognition of pioneering contributions in development of spectroscopy rocket plume diagnostics.

1999

  • Dr Lee H Sentman
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For pioneering work on elucidating the physical-chemical processes responsible for the fundamental and overtone power spectral performance of HF/DF chemical lasers.

1998

  • Prof Richard J Rosa
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: In recognition of outstanding personal achievement in the fields of plasma, plasmadynamics and magnetohydrodynamics and in fostering these sciences as both a researcher and educator.

1997

  • Theodore A Jacobs
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For the invention and development of the megawatt continuous HF/DF chemical laser, which laid the foundations for the shipboard and space based laser defense systems.

1996

  • Dr Shi Tsan Wu
    The University of Alabama in Huntsville
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: In recognition of outstanding technical achievement as a scientist and educator in pioneering MHD theory on the dynamic processes in the solar plasmas and solar-terrestrial relations that laid the foundations for space weather prediction.

1994

  • Dr Susan L Wu
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For technical achievement and leadership as a scientist, researcher and educator in the fields of plasmadynamics and magnetohydrodynamics and for untiring efforts in fostering these sciences through AIAA.

1992

  • Prof Abraham Hertzberg
    University Of Washington
    Awarded
    AIAA Citation: For outstanding contributions to gas dynamics and gas physics, including gas lasers and laser applications; and to the prepartion of young engineers for careers in the field.