Tag: 19 November 2025

Aerospace Award Winners to be Honored at AIAA SciTech Forum 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 19, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will bestow awards to aerospace innovators who made an impact on the industry over the past year during the AIAA SciTech Forum 2026, 12–16 January, Orlando, Fla. The awards will be presented during the forum at a special Awards Recognition Ceremony. Forum registration is available now. Journalists can request press credentials to cover the forum at [email protected].

“Congratulations to this year’s award winners! These remarkable individuals are highly regarded in their field and have been chosen by their peers. Their impressive contributions are advancing aeronautics and astronautics while also inspiring the next generation of aerospace professionals,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “They are truly shaping the future of aerospace.”

For more information about the AIAA Honors and Awards program, contact Patricia A. Carr at [email protected].

LITERARY AWARDS

2026 AIAA Gardner-Lasser Aerospace History Literature Award
The award is presented for the best original contribution to the field of aeronautical or astronautical non-fiction literature published in the last five years dealing with the science, technology, and/or impact of aeronautics or astronautics on society.

Sean Seyer
University of Kansas
Sovereign Skies: The Origins of American Civil Aviation Policy

2026 AIAA Elementary Children’s Literature Award
This award is presented to an outstanding, significant, and original contribution in aeronautics and astronautics literature for youth audiences.

Lauren Sánchez Bezos
The Fly Who Flew To Space

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

2026 AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement Technology Award
This award is presented for continued contributions and achievements toward the advancement of advanced aerodynamics flowfield and surface measurement techniques for research in flight and ground test applications.

Mark P. Wernet|
NASA Glenn Research Center
For the continued advancement of LDV, PIV, Raman thermometry, and real-time BOS technology into facility-hardened techniques that provide validation data for CFD assessment.

2026 AIAA Aerospace Guidance, Navigation and Control Award
This award is presented to recognize individuals that have made important and substantial contributions in the field of guidance, navigation and control.

Kathleen Howell
Purdue University
For seminal contributions to the theory and practice of the trajectory design and operation of spacecraft in the Earth-moon system.

2026 AIAA Aerospace Power Systems Award
This award, established in 1981, is presented for a significant contribution in the broad field of aerospace power systems, specifically as related to the application of engineering sciences and systems engineering to the generation, storage, management, and distribution of electrical energy to aerospace power systems.

Jeffrey Hojnicki
NASA Glenn Research Center (retired)
For exceptional technical contributions in spacecraft power systems analysis and for outstanding leadership in the design of photovoltaic power systems for multiple human spaceflight programs.

2026 AIAA Air Breathing Propulsion Award
This award is presented to an individual for sustained, meritorious accomplishment in the arts, sciences, and technology of air breathing propulsion systems.

Eric J. Ruggiero
GE Aerospace
For shaping propulsion technology starting with fundamental research in cooling features of gas turbines leading to product development of propulsion systems for advanced military platforms.

2026 AIAA Atkinson-Ball Survivability Award
This award is presented to an individual to recognize outstanding achievement or contribution in design, analysis, implementation, and/or testing of survivability in an aerospace system.

Timothy L. Williams
Boeing Defense, Space, and Security
For visionary leadership advancing multi-domain platform survivability, integrating resilient technologies across global defense systems, and shaping the next generation of aerospace engineers through mentorship & innovation.

2026 AIAA de Florez Award for Flight Simulation
This award is presented for an outstanding individual achievement in the application of flight simulation to aerospace training, research, and development.

Bruce Jackson
Adaptive Aerospace Group, Inc.
For leading standards for check-cases and model exchange of six-degree-of-freedom simulations, and for developing software frameworks for crew training, handling qualities, and vehicle subsystems development.

2026 AIAA Energy Systems Award
This award is presented for a significant contribution in the broad field of energy systems, specifically as related to the application of engineering sciences and systems engineering to the production, storage, distribution, and conservation of energy.

 Kemal Hanjalić
Delft University of Technology
University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
For pioneering and outstanding contribution to the modelling of turbulent flows, heat, mass transfer, and its application for the advancement of energy and process technologies.

2026 AIAA Intelligent Systems Award
This award is presented to recognize important fundamental contributions to intelligent systems technologies and applications that advance the capabilities of aerospace systems.

Mary “Missy” Louise Cummings
George Mason University
For outstanding and sustained contributions to human supervision and control of intelligent autonomous aerospace vehicles.

2026 AIAA Mechanics and Control of Flight Award
This award is presented for an outstanding recent technical or scientific contribution by an individual in the mechanics, guidance, or control of flight in space or the atmosphere.

Michael Bolender
Air Force Research Laboratory, AFRL/RQQA
For outstanding contributions to the development of control-oriented models and flight control methods for air-breathing hypersonic vehicles, which serve as the foundation of many computational models used in research and industry.

2026 AIAA Microgravity and Space Processes Award
This award is presented for significant contributions in microgravity science, space processing, or in furthering the use of microgravity for space processing.

Steven Collicott
Purdue University
For unique leadership in research, advocacy, and education supporting spaceflight activities in ISS, commercial sub-orbital rockets, parabolic flights, drop-towers, and commercial satellites.

2026 AIAA Propellants and Combustion Award
This award is presented for outstanding technical contributions to aeronautical or astronautical combustion engineering.

Fokion Egolfopoulos
University of Southern California
For outstanding contributions in studies of flames, including flame theory and fundamental flame property measurements and simulations especially at engine-relevant conditions.

2026 AIAA Wyld Propulsion Award
This award is presented for outstanding achievement in the development or application of rocket propulsion systems.

Vladimir J. Hruby
Busek Co. Inc.
In recognition of outstanding technical contributions in the field of spacecraft electric propulsion, and foundational influence on the industry.

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X/Twitter.

AIAA Announces 2026 Sustained Service Awards Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 19, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Sustained Service Awards. The award recognizes sustained, significant service and contributions to AIAA by members of the Institute.

“Our volunteers are the Institute’s driving force. Their ingenuity and dedicated service make AIAA great,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “This year’s honorees exemplify servant leadership. We are grateful for their enduring contributions to our community.”

The Sustained Service Award winners are AIAA members in good standing who have shown continuing dedication to the interests of the Institute by making significant and sustained contributions over a period of time, typically 10 years or more. Active participation and service at the local section/regional level, and/or the national level is a potential discriminator in the evaluation of candidates.

The 2026 Sustained Service Awards winners are:

Melissa Carter, NASA Langley Research Center

For sustained leadership, service, and contributions to the Hampton Roads Section, Region I, and AIAA National

Carter became an AIAA student member at Penn State in 1997. She held many positions in the Hampton Roads Section, including Young Professional Committee Chair and Section Chair. She is a member of the Inlets, Nozzles, and Propulsion System Integration (INPSI) Technical Committee and served two years as Chair. Carter started working at NASA Langley Research Center as a co-op student in 1998, converted to a full-time employee in 2000, and is retiring in January 2026.

David Casbeer, Air Force Research Laboratory

For leadership advancing AIAA’s focus on autonomy and intelligent systems in aerospace.

Casbeer, a 20-year member of AIAA, heads the UAV Cooperative and Intelligent Control Team at the Air Force Research Laboratory. His team works to develop enabling technology for autonomous UAVs, supporting future Air Force missions.

Wayne Hurwitz, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems

For sustained leadership and dedicated service to AIAA at the national level through significant contributions to Corporate Membership advocacy, the Air Breathing Propulsion TC, Propulsion & Energy Group, TAD leadership, and the Ethics Committee.

Hurwitz is the Northrop Grumman Fellow for Propulsion. He has served as a manager or IPT leader on a range of military aircraft programs, including F-5/T-38, F-20, TSSAM, legacy F/A-18 and E/F, B-2, B-21, X-47A, JAST, F-22, F-35, UCLASS, NGAD, and other advanced programs. Hurwitz is an AIAA Associate Fellow and Deputy Director for the AIAA Propulsion and Energy (P&E) Group. He is a past chair of the AIAA Ethics Committee, served as Director of the P&E Group, and chair for the Air Breathing Propulsion Technical Committee. Hurwitz is the 2023 recipient of the Engineer’s Council Jack Northrop Spirit of Innovation Award.

Elizabeth Lee-Rausch, NASA Langley Research Center

For sustained leadership, service, and contributions to the Hampton Roads Section, Region I, and AIAA national.

Lee-Rausch is the Chief Engineer for the AeroSciences Division at NASA Langley Research Center. She received her B.S. in aerospace engineering from Auburn University in 1987 and her M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics from Purdue University in 1992. Lee-Rausch joined the staff of Langley in 1987 and has spent most of her career as a Research Engineer at the center working on the application and validation of CFD tools for large-scale aerospace systems.

Michael Oppenheimer, Air Force Research Laboratory

For sustained leadership, service, and contributions to the Dayton/Cincinnati Section, Region III, and AIAA national.

Oppenheimer is a Senior Electronics Engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory and an Associate Fellow of AIAA. He has performed flight control research on reusable launch vehicles and flapping wing micro air vehicles, as well as development of control allocation techniques for multiple applications. Oppenheimer holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Akron and a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Kerri Phillips, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

For sustained leadership and service through Technical, Ethics, and Public Policy Committees; the AIAA DEFENSE Forum Executive Steering Committee; and outreach at the section, regional, and national levels of AIAA.

Phillips serves as Program Area Manager for Threats and Intelligence in the National Security Space Mission Area at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Formerly APL’s Chief Scientist for Air and Missile Defense, she is an AIAA Associate Fellow and recognized expert in missile guidance and control. She was recently inducted into West Virginia University Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni for her technical and leadership achievements.

Joshua Rovey, University of Illinois

For sustained leadership, service, and contributions to the Illinois Section, Region III, and AIAA national.

Rovey is Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois and Director of the Illinois Space Grant Consortium. He is an Associate Fellow and a member of the Electric Propulsion Technical Committee and the Publications Committee. He spent several years as an associate editor of the Journal of Propulsion and Power.

Todd Treichel, Sierra Space

For exemplary leadership, dedicated service, and significant contributions to the Wisconsin Section, Region III, and the AIAA national organization.

Treichel is an Operations Manager at Sierra Space with over two decades of experience spanning quality, reliability, environmental testing, manufacturing, and design engineering. Notable spaceflight contributions include ISS payloads, Cygnus & HTV-X spacecraft, and Mars landers. Since founding the AIAA Rocket Science STEM short courses in 2010, Treichel has continued to lead this Wisconsin-based educational initiative. He is an AIAA Associate Fellow, Section Chair, and recipient of the NASA Silver Achievement Medal.

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.