Tag: AIAA Press Release

President and Chief Executive Officer, United Launch Alliance, Salvatore T. “Tory” Bruno to Deliver Von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics at 2019 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Michele McDonald
703.264.7542
[email protected]

“Vision for CisLunar Economy”

May 28, 2019 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has selected Salvatore T. “Tory” Bruno to give its 2019 von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics.

Bruno will deliver his lecture, “Vision for CisLunar Economy,” at 6:30 p.m. (EDT), August 20, at the 2019 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum held 19-22 August 2019, at the JW Marriott, Indianapolis, IN.

Bruno, an AIAA Associate Fellow, is the president and chief executive officer for United Launch Alliance (ULA). In this role, Bruno serves as the principal strategic leader of the organization and oversees all business management and operations.

Prior to joining ULA, he served as the vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Strategic and Missile Defense Systems. The business is a leading provider of ballistic missile and ballistic missile defense systems, supporting U.S. Department of Defense customers, as well as the U.K. Royal Navy and Ministry of Defence. Programs included the Navy’s Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM), the Air Force’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Reentry Systems, and the Missile Defense Agency’s Terminal High Area Altitude Defense (THAAD), Targets and Countermeasures and Common Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) Concept Definition. He also managed the corporation’s responsibilities in Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Management Limited, a joint venture that produces and safely maintains the U.K.’s nuclear weapons. He is a former member of the board of directors of Lockheed Martin U.K. Ltd.

Bruno joined Lockheed Martin in 1984. He previously served as vice president and general manager of FBM and ICBM, as vice president of the THAAD Missile, as vice president of Engineering, as chief engineer for Strategic Missile Programs, as program manager for FBM Rocket Propulsion, and in engineering positions involving design and analysis for control systems of rockets and hypersonic reentry vehicles. He holds several patents.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo, California, and has completed graduate courses and management programs at Harvard University, Santa Clara University, the Wye River Institute, San Jose State University, and the Defense Acquisition University.

Bruno is serving as a member of the National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group. In addition, he is a companion of the Naval Order of the United States, a member of the Navy League, and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He served on the National Blue Ribbon Panel for Bettering Engineering & Science Education and as Chairman of the Diversity Council of Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

He is the author of two books that explore the organization of the medieval Knights Templar from the perspective of modern business management: Templar Organization: The Management of Warrior Monasticism and Templar Incorporated. He is a recipient of the Order of Merit of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem.

The von Kármán Lectureship in Astronautics honors an individual who has performed notably and distinguished themselves technically in the field of astronautics, and is named in honor of Theodore von Kármán, a world-famous authority on aerospace sciences. Please visit AIAA’s Honors and Awards Program webpage for more information.

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 88 countries, and 95 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, aiaa.org, or follow us on Twitter @AIAA.

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American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
12700 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 200, Reston, VA 20191-5807
Phone: 703.264.7558 Fax: 703.264.7551 aiaa.org

AIAA Announces 2025 Regional Student Conference Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 16, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of six of the 2025 Regional Student Conferences. The first-place university student winners in each of the high school, undergraduate, graduate, and team categories (listed below) receive cash prizes.

Record-breaking crowds of over 1,200 students and professionals attended across all six of the recent conferences. This year marks the first regional student conference held in Canada. The 355 student papers presented will be published by AIAA and available on Aerospace Research Center (ARC) later this year.

“We’re excited to see our university student members gaining real-life experiences,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “For many students, these conferences are their first opportunity to formally present their research and receive valuable feedback from industry professionals. Their creativity and passion for aerospace was on full display. After hearing several presentations, I came away with a renewed enthusiasm for our community—the future of aerospace is bright indeed.”

“We’re grateful to the local aerospace industry and universities in the conference cities for hosting tours and sponsoring the events. The dedication from the many local AIAA section volunteers helps make these conferences a resounding success,” Mowry added.

AIAA holds conferences in each region for university student members at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and in some cases high schoolers. The AIAA Foundation funds the regional student conferences, in addition to contributions from many other regional-level sponsors.

Region I Winners

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Design and Analysis of a Self-Propelled Nanosatellite for a Mission Beyond Low Earth Orbit,” Zoë Jaeger-Letts and Jakub Glowacki, Concordia University (Montreal, Canada)
Second Place: “Structural Analysis and Testing of a Student-Designed UAV Wing,” Jack Snyder and Nick Tepylo, Clarkson University (Potsdam, NY)
Third Place: “Visual Exploration with UAVs: Solving the Next-Best-View Problem with Limited A Priori Information,” Coleman Henner, Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Advancing Space Situational Awareness: Using Multispectral Imaging for Space Object Observation,” Lovejivan Sidhu and Gupreet Singh, York University (Toronto, Canada)
Second Place: “IRMA: New Era for Interstellar Travel,” Christina Decker and Felix May, University at Buffalo (Buffalo, NY)
Third Place: “Aircraft Trim Condition Detection Using Flight Test Data and Interval Analysis,” Mouhamadou Wade, École de Technologie Supérieure (Montreal, Canada)

Team Category

First Place: “Design of Morph Wings with Tunable Properties for Ultralight Aircraft,” Serena Dalo, Emre Danabasoglu, Demi Davis, Benjamin France, Fiona Leitner, Maxwell Maria, and James Watson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA)
Second Place: “Aerodynamic Performance Enhancement of Co-Flow Jet Airfoil with Metamorphic Wing Mechanism,” Rawsen Mitchell, Andrew Leonard, Eric Doraci, and Haifa El-Sadi, Wentworth Institute of Technology (Boston, MA)
Third Place: “Design of a CubeSat Radio Telescope Constellation,” Zevulun Lieberman, Sjoerd Huitema, Mary Laurens, Aquil-li Rodriguez Plassa, and Mark Russo, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA)

Region II Winners

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Experimental Characterization of a Quadrotor’s Response Air Vortex Cannon,” Kyle VanHorn, University of North Carolina Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)
Second Place: “Development of a Student-Built LOX/Jet-A Coaxial Swirl Injector,” Dario Zaccagnino, Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
Third Place: “Design and Fabrication of an EDS-Enabled Brush Prototype for Lunar Dust Mitigation,” Nishant Sood and Julie Linsey, Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Evolution of the Biderectional Vortex in a Capped Ellipsoidal Cyclonic Rocket Engine,” Patrick Eid and Joseph Majdalani, Auburn University (Auburn, AL)
Second Place: “On the Multipole Vortex (MpV) Motion in a Circular-Port Hybrid Rocket Engine,” Mitchell Sisk and Joseph Majdalani, Auburn University (Auburn, AL)
Third Place: “Star Elimination as a Means of Resident Space Object Identification for Space Situational Awareness,” Evan Pavetto-Stewart and Thomas Alan Lovell, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, FL)

Undergraduate Team Category

First Place: “STARGATE: An Undergraduate Experimental Gridded Ion Thruster Student Research Project,” Claude Blue, Peter Summers, Jeffrey King, and Themistoklis Chronis, University of Alabama Huntsville (Huntsville, AL)
Second Place: “Development of a High-Performance Avionics System for Real-Time Guidance and Control in High-Power Vehicles,” Cheng Liu, Mohammed Abdeen, and Kanav Chugh, Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
Third Place: “Design and Analysis of Axial Turbine Power Extraction from a Small-Scale Rotating Detonation Rocket Combustor,” Corey Thunes, Donovan Ngum, Ellie Murray, Jose Barbeito, Lucas Nicol, Rodrigo Dacosta, Trevor Larsen and James Braun, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC)

Outstanding Student Branch Category

First Place: Auburn University (Auburn, AL)
Second Place: Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
Third Place: University of Tennessee Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)

Open Topic Category

First Place: “Advancing Laser Communication for Mars Orbital Missions,” Om Acharya, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, FL)
Second Place: “The Orbiter: Pushing the Boundaries of Amateur Rocketry,” Yash Malik, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, FL)
Third Place: “A Review of Hypersonic Vehicle Engine Optimization,” Nicholas Pisani and Peter Waszkowski, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, FL)

Region III Winners

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Velocity Characterization of a Newly Commissioned Hypersonic Ludwieg Tube Using FLEET,” Rowan Quintero, University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
Second Place: “Free-Flight Testing of Ogive Flare Geometry in Hypersonic Wind Tunnel,” Ryan Jones, University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
Third Place: “Continued Development and Validation of an Exoskeleton Focused Immersive Teleoperation Interface,” Romeo Perlstein, University of Maryland (College Park, MD)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Multi-Sensor Based Adaptive Fusion Scheme for Position Estimation of Multirotor UAV Systems in GPS-Denied Environments,” Luke Busse, University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)
Second Place: “Cascading Delay Mitigation with Quadratic Bezier Curve Trajectory Planning,” Michael Variny, Ohio University (Athens, OH)
Third Place: “Optimization of Thrust Vector Direction for Direct Measurement Uncertainty Minimization,” Adam Jones, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)

Team Category

First Place: “Design and Implementation of a High-Powered Rocket to Investigate Flight Performance and Fin Flutter During Transonic Flight,” Sam Zieba, Cesar Martinez, Ian James, Tari Himelhoch, and Cole Christopherson, Milwaukee School of Engineering (Milwaukee, WI)
Second Place: “Mars Autonomous Resupply Constellation (MARC), Raymond Bertke,” Hayden Brown, Nicholas Gomori, and Jake Ferris, Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
Third Place: “Design and Manufacturing of FANG (Fabric ANchoring Gadget) for Fabric Repair on the International Space Station,” Zoe Surles, Saanvi Kunisetty, Lillian Hunt, Gabriela Zabiegaj, Ryan Smith, Tiana Foreman, Casimir Palowski, Taranpreet Singh, Alana Falter, Denver Haslett, Andrew Jace Bernando, Kate Pactol, Parker Lenkaitis, Jennifer Ren, Emma Held, and Julia Kalil, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Urbana-Champaign, IL)

Region IV Winners

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Efficiency of Bio-Inspired Blades for Vertical Axis Wind Turbines,” Smruthi Ahashidhar and Kiran Bhaganagar, University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, TX)
Second Place: “Development of a Bimodal Ammonium Perchlorate Cast Propellant for 54-mm and 76-mm Solid Rockets,” Alex Earnhart and Jacob Robinson, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
Third Place: “Frequency Response of Fast-Responsive Pressure-Sensitive Paint, Andrew Cervantes and Alexandria Lopez-Boor,” University of Texas at San Antonio, (San Antonio, TX)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Tailoring Metal Particle Deposition on Non-conductive Woven Fabrics for Multifunctional Applications using an Electroplating Process,” Isaac Carney and Isaac Williams, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
Second Place: “Development of a Micro-Turbojet Engine Control Unit for Component Level Efficiencies Monitoring,” Zachary Wattenbarger and Kurt Rouser, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
Third Place: “An Analytical Model for Thin Film Heat-Transfer Gauges,” Emirhan Bayir, University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, TX)

Team Category

First Place: “Optimization of Wheel Design for NASA TSGC Lunar Personal Electric Vehicle (LPEV): A Mechanical Engineering Approach,” Akash Musale, Swaid Alrashed, Easton Duplichan, Silas Hill, and Nourouddin Sharifi, Tarleton State University (Stephenville, TX)
Second Place: “Application of Neuromorphic Attitude Control to High-Powered Rockets,” Daniel Bluedorn, Kaiden Kiracofe, Brian Davis, Kimberly Perez, and Stefan Fountain, New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM)
Third Place: “Development of a 2-Dimensional, Variable-Area Nozzle for Small Unmanned Aircraft Micro-Turbojets,” Noah Greeson, Andrew Knotts, Sue Ellyn Corbett, Alexandra Boyko, Ryan Berzas, Alexandra Boyko, Tyler Rogalski, and Kurt Rouser, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)

Region V Winners

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Modeling Trajectory and Attitude to Optimize Baffle Design for the Optical Navigation System of the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt,” Christopher Michael O’Neill Jr., University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)
Second Place: “Predictive Station Keeping of Areostationary Satellites Using Natural Motion Trajectories,” Nathan Gall and Ryan Caverly, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)
Third Place: “Machine Learning Optimization of Model Following Control for Resilient Microburst Attenuation on Final Approach,” Nathan Aldridge and Samuel Stanton, United States Air Force Academy (Air Force Academy, CO)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Long Short-Term Memory Networks to Improve Aerodynamic Coefficient Estimation for Aerocapture,” Dominic Rudakevych and Stephen Becker, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)
Second Place: “Hypersonic Glide Vehicle Trajectory Design Using Constrained Energy Maneuverability,” Sam Jaeger and Maziar Hemati, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)
Third Place: “Human Spaceflight Graduate Projects: Recommendations for Project-Based Aerospace Systems Engineering,” Lynnette Wilde and Lynzee Hogger, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)

Undergraduate Team Category

First Place: “Countering Balance Impairments in Microgravity and Earth Environments Using a Reactive Balance System,” Sweta Alla, Maya Mital, and Rishab Pally, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)
Second Place: “Sound of Crickets: Design of Experimental System for Analysis of the Effects of Rocket Launch on Acheta domestitcus Cricket Eggs,” Anna Daetz, Bryson Chittum, Aaron Kerber, and William Kilcrease, University of Colorado Colorado Springs (Colorado Springs, CO)
Third Place: “Aerodynamic Stability for Optimal CubeSat Drag Sail Operations,” Adrian Bryant, Polly Fitton, Tyler Renken, Shane Billingsley, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)

Region VI Winners

High School Category

First Place: “A Novel Low-Cost Zero Mean-Flow Chamber Design and Physics-Informed Neural Network for Astrophysical and Environmental Turbulence Applications,” Aiden Kwon, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School (Rolling Hills Estates, CA)
Second Place: “A Study of Toroidal Propellers with Comparison to Traditional Propellers,” Bingxuan Cheng, Trabuco Hills High School (Mission Viejo, CA)
Third Place: “Taming the Oblique Wing: Improving Fuel Efficiency by Developing and Flight Testing an Oblique Wing Aircraft Utilizing a Novel Control Method,” Kevin Shen, Olympia High School (Olympia, WA)

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Modeling a Gliding Turn-Back Maneuver (“Impossible Turn”) Following an Engine Failure,” Nicholas Lototsky, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Second Place: “Computational Model of a Table Top Shock Tunnel for Hypersonic Environments,” Lindsay Feyrer and Tim Linke, University of California Davis (Davis, CA)
Third Place: “Spectroscopic Analysis of Erosion Rate from Electrode Surfaces on the ZaP-HD Device,” Elyse Lian, University of Washington (Seattle, WA)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Aerodynamic Force Characterization of a Novel Variable Amplitude Flapping Wing Robot,” Geourg Kivijian and Nandeesh Hiremath, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Second Place: “Initial Parametric Design of a Torsion Pendulum to Demonstrate Attitude Control using Microoptoelectromechanical System Control of Radiation Pressure,” Jonathan Messer, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Third Place: “Influence of Functionalized Titanium Dioxide Ligant Length on Composite Mechanical Properties,” Ian Holmes and Joseph Kalman

Undergraduate Team Category

First Place: “Design and Experimental Validation of a Gallium Field Emission Electric Propulsion Thruster,” Kylar Flynn, Gabriel Goldman, Connor Storey, and Jose Torres, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Second Place Tie: “Tensegrity Structures for Energy Absorption in Aerospace Landing and Reusable Rocket Systems,” Leire Roma Rubi, Ryan Kuo, and Brennan Birn, University of California Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
Second Place Tie: “Load Testing of a Superelastic Tire Suited for Space Exploration,” Audrey Park, Jacqueline Nguyen, Amanda Lucker, Yashvi Deliwala, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Third Place: “Design of a Non-Flapping Morphing Drone Inspired by the Western Gull,” by Jose Aquilera Fuentes, Jeffrey Astorga, Marco Zuloaga, Jeremy LeMaster, Adrian Corral, Jonathan Balan, Joseph Mackey de Zela, Matthew Emil Martin, Harmandeep Gill, Brianna Murphy, and Peter Bishay, California State University Northridge (Northridge, CA)

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, or follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Statement on Tenth SpaceX Starship Test Flight

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 27, 2025 – Reston, Va. – AIAA issued the following statement from CEO Clay Mowry:

“Congratulations to the SpaceX team on the incredible 10th test flight of Starship. Every flight pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in reusable launch systems. The onboard camera views gave us a front-row seat to witness progress on the world’s largest heavy-lift reusable space launch system.

This flight demonstrated several of Starship’s capabilities including the ability to successfully dispense test Starlink payloads. The SpaceX engineering teams have applied valuable lessons from their recent test flights and they are making progress on a number of fronts.

It’s exciting to see SpaceX breaking barriers in reusable launch! We applaud SpaceX on accelerating humanity’s journey back to the moon and onward to Mars.

AIAA salutes the thousands of SpaceX professionals whose engineering expertise and determination have made this bold step forward with Starship that is shaping the future of aerospace.”

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

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 or follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces its Class of 2026 Associate Fellows

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 1, 2025 – Reston, Va. – AIAA is pleased to announce its newly elected Class of 2026 Associate Fellows. The Institute will formally honor the class at the AIAA Associate Fellows Induction Ceremony and Dinner, Wednesday, 14 January 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Orlando during AIAA SciTech Forum 2026, 12–16 January 2026, Orlando, Florida.

“Congratulations to each member of the Class of 2026 Associate Fellows,” said AIAA President Dan Hastings. “This distinguished group of professionals has performed extraordinary work and advanced the state of science and technology in aeronautics and astronautics. They exemplify a dedication to excellence in their specific technical disciplines. We are proud of their achievements as they shape the future of aerospace.”

The grade of Associate Fellow recognizes individuals “who have accomplished or been in charge of important engineering or scientific work, or who have done original work of outstanding merit, or who have otherwise made outstanding contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics.” To be selected as an Associate Fellow an individual must be an AIAA Senior Member in good standing, with at least 12 years of professional experience, and be recommended by three AIAA members.

For more information on the AIAA Honors Program or AIAA Associate Fellows, contact Patricia A. Carr at [email protected].

Class of 2026 AIAA Associate Fellows

Ajit Achuthan, Clarkson University
Kevin R. Anderson, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Dale C. Arney, NASA Langley Research Center
Dilmurat M. Azimov, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Damiano Baccarella, University of Tennessee
Sean Bailey, University of Kentucky
Brent W. Barbee, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / University of Maryland, College Park
Tadas P. Bartkus, Ohio Aerospace Institute
Tahllee Baynard , Lockheed Martin Space
David R. Beering, Intelligent Designs LLC
Kevin D. Bell, The Aerospace Corporation
Mark G. Benton, Sr., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Arizona
Reid A. Berdanier, Pennsylvania State University
Robert A. Bettinger, Air Force Institute of Technology
Natasha Bosanac, University of Colorado Boulder
Pablo C. Bueno, Southwest Research Institute
Goutam Chattopadhyay, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
John G. Clark, Lockheed Martin
Cameron W. Coates, Kennesaw State University
Richard K. Cohn, Ursa Major Technologies
Lt. Col. Christopher Coley, United States Air Force
Velibor Ćormarković, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Christopher Courtin, Electra.aero
Beni Cukurel, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology
Daniel R. Cuppoletti, University of Cincinnati
Danielle S. Curcio, RTX
Andrea Da Ronch, University of Southampton
Scott T M Dawson, Illinois Institute of Technology
Jan W. Delfs, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Edward P. DeMauro, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Benjamin Dickinson, Air Force Research Laboratory
Con J. Doolan, University of New South Wales
Christopher Brian Dreyer, Colorado School of Mines
Harold Ennulat, Software Engineering Institute
Alper Erturk, Georgia Institute of Technology
Antony D. Evans, Airbus
Nicolas Fezans, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Matthew L. Fotia, Air Force Research Laboratory
Jacob George, Metrolaser Inc.
Leslie Gertsch, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Ritesh Ghimire, United States Federal Aviation Administration
Keith D. Goodfellow, Aerojet Rocketdyne / L3Harris
Amelia D. Greig, BAE Systems Inc.
Mark Robert Grindle, Systems Enginuity
Peter Hancock, University of Central Florida
Darren John Hartl, Texas A&M University
Liam M. Healy, Naval Research Laboratory
Jesse B. Hoagg, University of Kentucky
Kristin Houston, L3Harris Technologies
Erin Hubbard, NASA Glenn Research Center
Lester A. Ingham, Honda Aircraft Company
Louise Jandura, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Elishka L. Jepson, RTX
Michael Jones, Systems Technology, Inc.
Daewon Kim, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Hyun Jung Kim, KAIST
Michael P. Kinzel, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Julie E. Kleinhenz, NASA Glenn Research Center
Ali R. Kolaini, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Ramesh Kolar, U.S. Army DEVCOM AvMC TDD-A DSE CD&A
Jarret M. Lafleur, Sandia National Laboratories / Ursa Major Technologies
Rhea P. Liem, Imperial College London
Yu Cheng Liu, Tsinghua University
Yang Liu, City College of New York
Francisco Lopez Jimenez, University of Colorado Boulder
Alejandro Lopez Ortega, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mark H. Lowenberg, University of Bristol
Christopher A. Lupp, Air Force Research Laboratory
Ou Ma, University of Cincinnati
Lori A. Magruder, University of Texas at Austin
Luca Massa, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Ellen Yi Chen Mazumdar, Georgia Institute of Technology
Matthew McCrink, Ohio State University
Matthew McGilvray, University of Oxford
Michael D. McPartland, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Marcel Milanes, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Michael Z. Miller, Georgia Tech Research Institute
Guy Juan Montoro, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
James D. Moreland, Jr., MEI Innovative Solutions Inc.
Catalin C. Nae, INCAS – National Institute for Aerospace Research “Elie Carafoli”
Björn Nagel, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Douglas J. Neill, Computational Engineering Software, LLC
Linda O’Brien, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Mark Olmos, Northrop Grumman Space Systems
Michael Otte, University of Maryland, College Park
Ganesh J. Pai, KBR
Pinaki Pal, Argonne National Laboratory
Amit Pandey, Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Marco Pavone, Stanford University / NVIDIA
Tanya Pemberton, The Aerospace Corporation
Daniel Plakosh, Carnegie Mellon University / Software Engineering Institute
Brent Pomeroy, NASA Langley Research Center
Savio James Poovathingal, University of Kentucky
Russell W. Powers, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division
Michael W. Renfro, University of Kentucky
Nilton O. Renno , University of Michigan
Christopher L. Reynolds, Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Daniel R. Richardson, Sandia National Laboratories
James L. Rutledge, Air Force Institute of Technology
Umberto Saetti, University of Maryland, College Park
Marco Sagliano, University of Bologna
Abhishek Saha, University of California, San Diego
Gerald B. Sanders, NASA Johnson Space Center (retired)
Grady Pike Saunders, Amentum Technology, Inc.
Bryan E. Schmidt, Case Western Reserve University
Brandon Sforzo, Argonne National Laboratory
Peter J. Sharer, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Paul Sierpinski, NASA Kennedy Space Center
Rohan Sood, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Shawn S. Stephens, United States Air Force
James P. Stewart, Electra.aero
Liang Sun, Baylor University
Takao Suzuki, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Hideyuki Taguchi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Jimmy C. Tai, Georgia Institute of Technology
Jekan Thangavelautham , University of Arizona
James Chris Thomas, Southwest Research Institute
Christoph Torens, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Paul J. van Susante, Michigan Technological University
Diane C. Villanueva, The MITRE Corporation
James M. Walton, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Alan Weston, Astra
Brian S. Woodard, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Kris Zacny, Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin Company
Hossein Zare-Behtash, Emirates Aviation University
Bo Zhang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Yufei Zhang, Tsinghua University
Liwei Zhang, University of Texas at Arlington
Dianyun Zhang, Purdue University
Wenwen Zhao, Zhejiang University

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

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 X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2024-2025 Section Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 4, 2025 – Las Vegas – AIAA announced its 2024-2025 section award winners during its Regional Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The section awards honor particularly notable achievements made by members of AIAA’s 58 sections around the world in a range of activities that help fulfill the Institute’s mission. Section awards are given annually in eight categories based on the size of each section’s membership. Each winning section receives a certificate and a cash award. The award period is 1 June 2024–31 May 2025.

“Across AIAA, local sections and student branches are where the action begins. We believe dynamic local communities are the core of AIAA member engagement. They’re essential to the Institute’s success. Congratulations to these sections and student branches for their noteworthy achievements!” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.

The Outstanding Section Award is presented to sections based upon their overall activities and contributions through the year. The winners are:

VERY SMALL

First Place: Delaware
Second Place: Wisconsin
Third Place: Adelaide

SMALL

First Place: Illinois
Second Place (tie): Greater Philadelphia
Second Place (tie): Indiana
Third Place: Palm Beach

MEDIUM

First Place: San Diego
Second Place: Tucson
Third Place: Tennessee

LARGE

First Place: Saint Louis
Second Place: North Texas
Third Place: Houston

VERY LARGE

First Place: Los Angeles
Second Place: New England
Third Place: Hampton Roads

The Communications Award is presented to sections that have developed and implemented an outstanding communications outreach program. Winning criteria include level of complexity, timeliness, and variety of methods of communications, as well as frequency, format, and content of the communication outreach. The winners are:

VERY SMALL

First Place: Delaware, Zachary Gent (Northrop Grumman Defense Systems), section chair
Second Place: Central Coast of California, Matthew Tanner (United States Space Force), secretary
Third Place: Adelaide, Michael Evans (University of South Australia), university liaison officer

SMALL

First Place: Indiana, Hannah Snyderburn (Naval Surface Warfare Center), communications officer
Second Place (tie): Michigan, Pradip Sagdeo, section chair
Second Place (tie): Greater Philadelphia, Matthew Johnson (Saker Shoprites Inc), communications officer
Third Place: Long Island, David Paris, section chair

MEDIUM

First Place: San Diego, Steven Jacobson (General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc), secretary
Second Place: Carolina, Will Stavanja (USTRC), vice chair, Greensboro Chapter
Third Place: Tennessee, Phillip Kreth (University of Tennessee Space Institute), section chair; Taylor Swanson (AEDC), council member

LARGE

First Place: North Texas, James Sergeant, section chair
Second Place (tie): Northern Ohio, Edmond Wong (NASA Glenn Research Center), communications officer
Second Place (tie): Saint Louis, Mario Santos (The Boeing Company), communications officer
Third Place (tie): Albuquerque, Robert Malseed, treasurer
Third Place (tie): Houston, Kendall Mares (Jacobs), University Liaison Officer

VERY LARGE

First Place: Los Angeles, Kenneth Lui (Ken’s Consulting), website editor officer
Second Place: New England, Aaryan Nagarkatti (GE Aerospace Research), social media officer; DurgeshChandel (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), publicity officer
Third Place: Hampton Roads, Soumyo Dutta (NASA Langley Research Center), newsletter editor

The Membership Award is presented to sections that have supported their membership by planning and implementing effective recruitment and retention campaigns. The winners are:

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First Place: Delaware, Zachary Gent (Northrop Grumman Defense Systems), section chair
Second Place: Wisconsin, Todd Treichel (Sierra Space), section chair
Third Place: Adelaide, Patrick Neumann (Neumann Space), section chair

SMALL

First Place: Illinois, Andrew Touvannas (Woodward Inc.), honors & awards chair; David Caroll (CU Aerospace LLC), vice chair
Second Place: Indiana, Anand Nageswaran Bharath (Cummins Inc.), STEM K-12 officer
Third Place: Michigan, Pradip Sagdeo, section chair

MEDIUM

First Place: San Diego, Joel Perez (Solar Turbines Inc.), regional advisory council representative
Second Place: Tucson, Dan Rouhani (Composite Construction), treasurer
Third Place: Carolina, Monika Bubacz (Boeing Company), treasurer

LARGE

First Place: Saint Louis, Alex Friedman (The Boeing Company), membership officer
Second Place: North Texas, James Sergeant, section chair
Third Place: Northern Ohio, Jonah Sachs-Westone (NASA Glenn Research Center), membership officer

VERY LARGE

First Place: Los Angeles, Sherry Stukes, membership officer
Second Place (tie): Greater Huntsville, Terri Tramel, membership officer
Second Place (tie): New England, Osa Osaretin (MIT Lincoln Laboratory), treasurer; Hiro Endo (Schenck USA Corp Test Devices by Schenck), advisor; Peter Dentch (Pratt & Whitney), STEM K-12 officer; Jimmy Wetzel(Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.), vice chair
Third Place (tie): Dayton-Cincinnati, Caleb Barnes (AFRL/RQVA), membership officer
Third Place (tie): Hampton Roads, Richard Winski (NASA Langley Research Center), membership officer

The Public Policy Award is presented for stimulating public awareness of the needs of aerospace research and development, particularly on the part of government representatives, and for educating section members about the value of public policy activities. The winners are:

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First Place: Wisconsin, Todd Treichel (Sierra Space), section chair
Second Place: Adelaide, Patrick Neumann (Neumann Space), section chair
Third Place: Delaware, Di Ena Davis, public policy officer

SMALL

First Place: Palm Beach, Shawna Christenson (Aerospace and Innovation Academy), public policy office
Second Place: Illinois, Mordechai Levin (MasterFlight Foundation), public policy officer
Third Place: Phoenix, Aiden Bramer (Chipton-Ross), former section chair

MEDIUM

First Place: San Diego, Mike Curtin, public policy officer
Second Place: Carolina, Theodoros Spanos (Boeing Company), past chair

LARGE

First Place: Houston, Christine Dubbert, program officer
Second Place: North Texas, James Sergeant, section chair
Third Place: Albuquerque, Mark Fraser (U.S Air Force), public policy office

VERY LARGE

First Place: Hampton Roads, Steven Dunn (Amentum), public policy officer
Second Place: National Capital, Michael Barton (a.i. solutions Inc), vice chair operations officer
Third Place (tie): Rocky Mountain, Lisa Luedtke (Lockheed Martin Space Systems), public policy officer
Third Place (tie): Los Angeles, Daniel Scalese (University of Southern California), public policy officer

The STEM K–12 Award is presented to sections that have developed and implemented an outstanding STEM K–12 outreach program that provides quality education resources for K–12 teachers in the STEM subject areas. The winners are:

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First Place: Delaware, Kirstin Walz (Northrop Grumman Mission Systems), STEM K-12 officer
Second Place: Wisconsin, Ruby Kleijwegt (Sierra Space), communications officer
Third Place: Central Coast of California, Thomas Stevens (Space Launch Delta 30), STEM K-12 officer

SMALL

First Place: Palm Beach, Kevin Simmons (BLUECUBE Aerospace), STEM K-12
Second Place: Illinois, Pamela Greyer (NASA Aeronautics Education Laboratory), STEM K-12 officer.
Third Place (tie): Northern New Jersey, Yin Chen (US Army ARDEC), honors and awards chair
Third Place (tie): Northwest Florida, Crystal Pasiliao (Air Force SEEK EAGLE Office), STEM K-12 officer

MEDIUM

First Place: San Diego, Rich Kenney (AeroED Group), STEM K-12 officer
Second Place: Tennessee, Meghan Morris (University of Tennessee Space Institute), outreach coordinator
Third Place: Tucson, Rajka Corder (Raytheon), former STEM K-12 officer

LARGE

First Place: Saint Louis, Jackie Blumer (Greenville Jr High School), STEM K-12 officer
Second Place: Orange County, Binay Pandey, STEM K-12 officer
Third Place: Cape Canaveral, Melissa Sleeper (Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy), STEM K-12 officer

VERY LARGE

First Place: Los Angeles, Arpie Ovsepyan (Herbert Hoover High School), STEM K-12 officer
Second Place (tie): National Capital, Susan Bardenhagen, STEM K-12 officer
Second Place (tie): Hampton Roads, Karen Berger (NASA Langley Research Center), STEM K-12 officer; Franklin Turbeville (NASA Langley Research Center), young professionals officer
Third Place: Dayton-Cincinnati, Jose Camberos (Air Force Research Laboratory), STEM K-12 officer; Samuel Atchison (Air Force Institute of Technology), deputy director STEM K-12 outreach officer

The Section-Student Branch Partnership Award recognizes the most effective and innovative collaboration between professional section members and student branch members.

VERY SMALL

First Place: Adelaide, Zehao Liu (University of Adelaide), student branch liaison
Second Place: Wisconsin, Ander Baumann (Sierra Space), young professionals officer
Third Place: Delaware, David McGrath (Northrop Grumman Defense Systems), technical officer

SMALL

First Place: Illinois, Laura Villafañe Roca (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), section chair; Matthew Brotnow, university liaison officer
Second Place: Twin Cities, Robert Halverson, university liaison officer
Third Place: Greater Philadelphia, Chris Reynolds (Lockheed Martin Space Systems), STEM K-12 officer

MEDIUM

First Place: San Diego, Gary Fogel (Natural Selection Inc.), students activities officer
Second Place: Tucson, John Allen (University of Arizona), young professionals officer
Third Place: Southwest Texas, Christopher Combs (University of Texas at San Antonio), section chair

LARGE

First Place: North Texas, Mauricio Nava (University of Texas, Arlington), student branch chair of UTA; Ben Jeffery (University of Texas, Arlington), chapter chair of UTA
Second Place: Saint Louis, Joseph Richard (Boeing), university education officer
Third Place: Houston, Kendall Mares (Jacobs), STEM K-12 officer

VERY LARGE

First Place: New England, Shreyas Hegde (Pratt & Whitney), section chair; Jimmy Wetzel (Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.), vice chair; Osa Osaretin (MIT Lincoln Laboratory), treasurer; Peter Dentch (Pratt & Whitney), STEM K-12 officer; Durgesh Chandel (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), publicity officer; Nandita Hari (GE Aerospace Research), professional development officer
Second Place: Los Angeles, Ian Clavio (Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems), university education officer
Third Place: Rocky Mountain, Lynnane George (University of Colorado), outreach officer

The Young Professional Activity Award is presented for excellence in planning and executing events that encourage the participation of the Institute’s young professional members, and provide opportunities for leadership at the regional, or national level. The winners are:

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First Place: Delaware, Kirstin Walz (Northrop Grumman Mission Systems), STEM K-12 officer
Second Place: Wisconsin, Maddie Shipshock (Sierra Space), university and industry partnership officer
Third Place: Adelaide, Daniel Kilonzo (University of Adelaide), vice chair

SMALL

First Place: Palm Beach, Karl Roush (Georgia Institute of Technology), young professionals officer
Second Place: Greater Philadelphia, Jonathan Moore (Lockheed Martin Space Systems), section chair
Third Place: Indiana, Michael Nunez (Rolls-Royce Corp), STEM K-12 co-chair

MEDIUM

First Place: San Diego, Jema Matthews, young professionals officer
Second Place: Tucson, Dan Rouhani (Composite Construction), treasurer
Third Place: Antelope Valley, Isabella Villano, technical vice chair

LARGE

First Place: Saint Louis, Kyler Schaetzle (Boeing Engineering Operations & Technology), young professionals officer; Paola Diaz-Portela, co-chair young professionals
Second Place: Houston, Andrzej Jackowski (NASA Johnson Space Center), social media officer
Third Place: North Texas, James Sergeant, section chair

VERY LARGE

First Place: Los Angeles, Luis Cuevas (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics), section chair
Second Place: New England, Shreyas Hegde (Pratt & Whitney), section chair; Jimmy Wetzel (Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.), vice chair; Osa Osaretin (MIT Lincoln Laboratory), treasurer; Peter Dentch (Pratt & Whitney), STEM K-12 officer; Durgesh Chandel (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), publicity officer; Nandita Hari (GE Aerospace Research), professional development officer
Third Place: Greater Huntsville, Bob Tramel

The Outstanding Activity Award allows the Institute to acknowledge sections that held an outstanding activity deserving of additional recognition. The winners are:

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Central Coast of California, 40th Annual AIAA Central Coast STEM Exposition. The 40th Annual Central Coast STEM Exposition, held 2–3 May 2025 at Cabrillo High School, supported 80 projects, over 140 students, and five schools participating with the aid of over 50 judges and 10 other volunteers from across Vandenberg Space Force Base. Over $1,500 in cash and plaques sponsored by local professional organizations and companies were awarded to the top scored students at the awards reception attended by over 160 students, parents, teachers, and administrators. On Saturday, 3 May, two FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams from Arroyo Grande and Santa Ynez High Schools demonstrated their current robots to attendees. Also present were members of Darth Vader’s 501st Legion in full costume regalia for photo ops. Col. Mark Shoemaker, Space Launch Delta 30 Commander, was keynote speaker, and Christina Settje, Crestview Elementary School Principal, welcomed the attendees. Long-time participating teacher Karen Hamner, science teacher at La Honda STEAM Elementary School, was recognized for her decades of service to this event. A partnered team of contractors, professional organizations, school district representatives, and base personnel come together annually to make this event a success. It was a great team effort between the base and the Lompoc Unified School District!

SMALL:

Sydney, Disappearance and Search for VH MDX. In collaboration with RAeS UNSW ADFA and NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue, AIAA Sydney Section held held an event to examine one of the greatest unsolved aviation mysteries in Australia. During the night of 9 August 1981, a Cessna 210 VH-MDX, on a flight to Sydney with five people on board, disappeared over the area of Barrington Tops. Forty years later, despite annual searches by NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue, the airplane and its occupants have still not been found. Glenn Horrocks, Deputy Unit Commander, NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue Unit, discussed his 30-year research efforts and years of searching for the lost airplane and its passengers. About 100 people attended in person, with another 500+ views of the recording on the section’s YouTube channel.

MEDIUM:

Tucson, Kitt Peak Observing Program with AIAA Tucson Section. On 26 October 2024, the local community and AIAA members were invited to a night under the stars at the Kitt Peak National Observatory’s Visitor Center. During this special program, hosted by AIAA Tucson, participants spent four hours gazing through several of the very large and world-renowned telescopes to view the wonders of the universe.

LARGE:

Louis, STEM in Action: Engineering the Future at the Challenger Learning Center. On 6 February 2025, the AIAA St. Louis Section partnered with the Challenger Learning Center (CLC) to provide 40 middle school students from an underrepresented rural community in Missouri with the chance to execute a hands-on simulated space mission to Mars. The CLC St. Louis site features an immersive space mission simulation environment, including a mission control room and a spacecraft, where participants must cooperate to learn and succeed together. The students and their teachers from Strain-Japan Elementary (K-8) began the event with a hands-on rocket-making activity in the afternoon. Then students were introduced to 20 AIAA St. Louis Section volunteers, including AIAA Student Members, Young Professionals, Senior Members, and Educator Associates. During a Q&A session students were able to ask real engineering students and professionals questions like, “how much money does an engineer make,” “what were your favorite subjects in school,” and “why can’t you talk about your [DoD classified] statement of work?” Next students were assigned to either a Mission Control post or Crew Module position, and with a nearly 1-to-1 volunteer-to-student ratio were able to exercise their STEM skills to execute a Mars science mission. This included the Space Weather team flagging concerns of a nearby asteroid, and the Crew Module being safely extracted from planet surface and back to the orbiting station. Following an asteroid impact near Mars surface biology and geology operations, the Mission Control and Crew Module teams were swapped so that the former team could conduct damage control and rescue operations. By the end of the event, the students had learned many lessons such as 1) what it means to be a “real” engineer; 2) why science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are important fields to pursue; 3) how to work together as a team, using STEM skills to dynamically solve problems in real time; and 4) why safety and human factors are so paramount to space travel.

VERY LARGE:

Los Angeles, Recognition: AIAA Honorary Fellow Class of 2024, Professor Azad Madni of USC. The AIAA Los Angeles Section held an event in August 2024, with the University of Southern California to recognize Class of 2024 AIAA Honorary Fellow Azad Madni. It was a great opportunity to learn more about Prof. Azad Madni’s inspiring life and career, and his great accomplishments and contributions.

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 Statement on the NASA SpaceX Crew-11 Launch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 1, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) CEO Clay Mowry made the following statement:

“We congratulate the entire NASA SpaceX team on its successful Crew-11 launch to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA’s reuse of the SpaceX Falcon rocket and Dragon spacecraft continues to show us that reusability is the future of launch.

We are eager to follow the crew through its mission, demonstrating the value of scientific research conducted onboard the ISS that will help prepare us for our off-world future of human exploration of the moon and eventually on to Mars.

We applaud this mission to the ISS through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, demonstrating the collaboration between NASA and private industry to continue America’s leadership in low Earth orbit. With NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut, and a JAXA astronaut, Crew-11 continues NASA’s ongoing commitment to international cooperation – a hallmark of space exploration.

AIAA is honored to recognize the countless aerospace professionals involved in making this mission a success. We salute NASA, SpaceX, and Crew-11 for shaping the future of aerospace.”

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 X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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 Premier Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 16, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2026 recipients of the AIAA Premier Awards, recognizing the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace whose outstanding contributions merit the highest accolades. The winners will be recognized at AIAA events throughout the year.

“Congratulations to our premier award winners,” said AIAA President Daniel Hastings. “In honoring these remarkable pioneers, we celebrate their transformative contributions that will echo through generations of aerospace innovation. Their groundbreaking work exemplifies the relentless pursuit of excellence that defines our community as they set new horizons for what humanity can achieve in the vast frontiers of air and space.”

“I’m simply in awe of this outstanding group of award winners. These are the aerospace professionals who push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “These leaders are making sure we stay at the forefront of innovation and maintain our national leadership in aerospace. They are truly shaping the future of aerospace.”

The winners are:

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award – Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award – Boom Supersonic XB-1 Team

AIAA Distinguished Service Award – Mark J. Lewis, President & CEO, Purdue Applied Research Institute

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award – Jenna L. Eppink, Research Aerospace Engineer, NASA Langley Research Center

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award – Thomas C. Underwood, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin

AIAA Public Service Award – Thomas Zurbuchen, Professor of Space Science and Technology, ETH Zurich

Daniel Guggenheim Medal – Charbel Farhat, Vivian Church Hoff Professor of Aircraft Structures School of Engineering, Stanford University

Award Citations

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award

The highest honor AIAA bestows for notable achievement in the field of astronautics. It was endowed by Mrs. Goddard in the 1940s as the ARS Goddard Memorial Award to commemorate her husband, Robert H. Goddard—rocket visionary, pioneer, bold experimentalist, and superb engineer whose early liquid rocket engine launches set the stage for the development of astronautics.

Indian Space Research Organisation, honored “For the groundbreaking landing of the ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 near the lunar south pole region, to deepen our understanding of the moon and beyond.”

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award

The highest honor AIAA bestows for notable achievements in the field of aeronautics. The award is named after Dr. Sylvanus A. Reed, aeronautical engineer, designer, and founding member of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences in 1932.

Boom Supersonic XB-1 Team, honored “In recognition of the historic design and development of Boom Supersonic’s demonstrator, XB-1, the first independently developed supersonic jet, which demonstrated Boomless Cruise on two supersonic flights in 2025.”

AIAA Distinguished Service Award

AIAA recognizes an individual member who has provided distinguished service to the Institute over a period of years.

Mark J. Lewis, President & CEO, Purdue Applied Research Institute, honored “For outstanding and notable contributions to AIAA at the sectional, regional, and national level over the past four decades.”

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award

The award is presented to a member of the Institute who has made a recent individual technical contribution in the application of scientific and mathematical principles leading to a significant technical accomplishment.

Jenna L. Eppink, Research Aerospace Engineer, NASA Langley Research Center, honored “For exceptional engineering and technical innovation developing Lensless Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and a simple static-pressure-tap boundary-layer transition detection technique, expanding near-body flow-physics measurement capabilities.”

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award

The award is presented for a notable contribution made by a young person, age 35 or under, to the advancement of aeronautics or astronautics. This award honors Lawrence B. Sperry, pioneer aviator and inventor, who died in 1923 in a forced landing while attempting a flight across the English Channel.

Thomas C. Underwood, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin, honored “For pioneering contributions to air-breathing electric propulsion and plasma-enabled pathways for sustainable and in situ fuel production.”

AIAA Public Service Award

The award honors a person who has demonstrated sustained and visible support for aviation and space goals.

Thomas Zurbuchen, Professor of Space Science and Technology, ETH Zurich, honored “For bold and impactful leadership through energetic public service in space science, entrepreneurship, education, and NASA space program management.”

Daniel Guggenheim Medal

The Medal was established as an international award honoring an individual who makes notable achievements in advancing the safety and practicality of aviation. Jointly sponsored by AIAA, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), SAE International, and Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the Medal recognizes contributions to aeronautical research and education, the development of commercial aircraft and equipment, and the application of aircraft to the economic and social activities of the nation.

Charbel Farhat, Vivian Church Hoff Professor of Aircraft Structures School of Engineering, Stanford University, honored “For pioneering advances in the computational mechanics of fluid–structure interaction, transforming simulation methodologies and enabling major breakthroughs in aircraft design and optimization.”

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

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 X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2025 Region VII Student Conference Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 9, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners from the 2025 Region VII Student Conference, hosted at the University of Sydney, 1–2 December, both in person and virtually. The papers presented at the conference will be published by AIAA and available on Aerospace Research Center (ARC) at the beginning of 2026.

Attendees presented 54 papers and represented 23 schools. The conference had a strong international presence with students from nine countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

“We are thrilled to see our student members in action during student conferences. It’s vital for university students to gain practical experience presenting their research findings and receiving valuable feedback from aerospace professionals,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “We look forward to seeing these students shape the future of aerospace!”

For the undergraduate, graduate, and team categories, first-place winners received a cash prize of $500, second-place winners received a cash prize of $300, and third place received $250. The high school students received $100 for first place, $75 for second place, and $50 for third place.

AIAA student conferences give students an opportunity to present and publish their work in front of their peers and members of the industry. The AIAA Foundation sponsors student conferences in all seven AIAA regions each year. The Regional Student Conferences for Regions I-VI will take place in spring 2026.

2025 AIAA Region VII Student Conference Paper Winners
High School Category

1st Place: Avighna Daruka, Krish Agrawal, and Ankit Bansal, Oslo International School, Norway, “CFD Analysis of Near-Field Exhaust Thermodynamics in Hydrogen-Fueled Jet Engines and Their Implications for Contrail Formation”
2nd Place: Arif Emre Özden, Private Beştepe High School, Turkey, “Simulating Defect-Induced Local Modes and Phonon Dispersion in Two-Dimensional Materials with DFT”
3rd Place: Helin Uluğtürken, Saint Michel French High School, Turkey, “Airfoil Performance Analysis: NACA 2412 vs 0012”

Undergraduate Category

1st Place: Jordan Whittaker and Con Doolan, University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia, “Parametric Aerodynamic Study of the Properties of Leading-Edge Serrations on Wing Sections”
2nd Place: Girisha Puri, University of Sydney, Australia, “Numerical and Experimental Investigation of a Passive Mixing Device in a Flight-Scale Hybrid Rocket Engine”
3rd Place: Ishpreet Singh, University of New South Wales Canberra, Australian Defence Force Academy, Australia, “Flush Air Data System for a Blunt Wedge in Hypersonic Flow”

Graduate Category

1st Place Tie: Seonghyeon Park, Seungshin Lee, and Jinyoung Suk, Chungnam National University, Republic of Korea, “Design and Experimental Validation of a Kalman Filter-based Double-Loop INDI Architecture for Robust Control of Multicopter UAVs”
1st Place Tie: Vidit Bawa and Quentin Michalski, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia, “An Experimental Framework for In-Flight Determination of Rocket Aerodynamic Drag”
3rd Place: Nicoleta Railean, Fatime, Kuci, and Paul Kantzidis, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia, “Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Small Ducted Propellers in Ground Effect”

Team Category

1st Place: Allan Dong, Raymond Trinh, Xinwei Choot, and Benjamin Seow, University of Sydney, Australia, “Large Language Model-Enabled Multimodal UAV for Rescue”
2nd Place Tie: Fei Fei Liu Webster, Giulia Mandarano, Karunakalage Dasitha Manulindu Karunaratne, and Abdulghani Mohamed, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia, “Investigation of Passively Variable Pitch Blades with Ranging Pivot Locations on Rotor Load Imbalance”
2nd Place Tie: Jolok Banarjee, Holyjith Paul Himel, Toymor Wafi Opul, MD Shajidul Islam Patwary, Tuhin Alahi Anny, and Shahrukh Khan, Aviation and Aerospace University, Bangladesh, “Sustainable Additive Manufacturing Using Recycle PET: Machine Development and Mechanical Evaluation”
3rd Place: Mahi Uddin Ahmaad, Ashiquzzaman Sadi, Jolok Banarjee, Md Ahad Israq, and Saifur Rahman Bakaul, Aviation and Aerospace University, Bangladesh, “Structural Analysis and Material Selection for Wing of a Newly Designed Supersonic Fighter Aircraft”

Media Contact: Rebecca B. 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, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces Class of 2026 Honorary Fellows and Fellows

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 15, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) proudly congratulates its newly elected Class of 2026 Honorary Fellows and Fellows. The class will be inducted during a ceremony on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Washington, DC.

“Congratulations to each member of the Class of 2026 AIAA Honorary Fellows and Fellows for their remarkable accomplishments. They are among the most respected names in the aerospace profession,” said Dan Hastings, AIAA President. “These distinguished individuals have earned the respect and admiration of the global science and engineering community. We are in awe of their creativity and exceptional contributions that have advanced aerospace.”

Honorary Fellow is AIAA’s highest distinction, recognizing preeminent individuals who have made significant contributions to the aerospace industry and who embody the highest possible standards in aeronautics and astronautics. In 1933, Orville Wright became the first AIAA Honorary Fellow. Today, 245 people have been named AIAA Honorary Fellow.

AIAA confers Fellow upon individuals in recognition of their notable and valuable contributions to the arts, sciences or technology of aeronautics and astronautics. Nominees are AIAA Associate Fellows. Since the inception of this honor 2,120 persons have been elected as an AIAA Fellow.

“The Class of 2026 Honorary Fellows and Fellows are impressive aerospace professionals. They are dreamers who have transformed our understanding of flight and exploration, pushing the boundaries of human potential. I am privileged to call them friends and colleagues. Their groundbreaking work reminds me that innovation is born from passion, persistence, and the audacious belief that we can always reach a little further than we thought possible,” added AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.

2026 AIAA Honorary Fellows

Laura J. McGill, Sandia National Laboratories
Daniel J. Scheeres, University of Colorado Boulder
Steven H. Walker, Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)

2026 AIAA Fellows

William H. Ailor, III, The Aerospace Corporation (retired)
The Honorable Robert Behler, RFBehler Engineering and Consulting, LLC
Gillian Bussey, US Space Force
Simone D’Amico, Stanford University
Paul Danehy, NASA Langley Research Center
Juan M. de Bedout, RTX
Daniel Dumbacher, Purdue University
Miroslav Krstic, University of California San Diego
Sanjiva Lele, Stanford University
Arthur A. Mabbett, North Wind
Dan E. Marren, Marren Associates LLC
David M. McGowan, NASA Langley Research Center
Karl Wieland Naumann, kwnaumann Dynamic Technologies Expertise and Consulting
David Oh, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Paul H. Park, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bell Helicopter, Northrop Grumman (retired)
Khanh D. Pham, Air Force Research Laboratory/Space Vehicles Directorate
Dawn R. Phillips, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Ugo Piomelli, Queen’s University
Kurt Polzin, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Rusty Powell, Astrion
Sukesh Roy, Spectral Energies, LLC
Hoyt Lee Sampson, Jr., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Puneet Singla, Pennsylvania State University
Sonya T. Smith, Howard University
Kon-Well Wang, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Christopher Watkins, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
James W. Weber, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research & Engineering
David Williams, Illinois Institute of Technology

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

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 X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces Next Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Aircraft

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 18, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce that Rakesh Kapania, Norris and Wendy Mitchell Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Virginia Tech, will serve as the next editor-in-chief of the Journal of Aircraft, with service commencing in January 2026.

Kapania succeeds Mark Drela, Terry J. Kohler Professor of Fluid Dynamics in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who has led the journal since 2023.

The AIAA Publications Committee oversees the search and selection effort for new editors-in-chief. The search committee was led by Misty Davies, NASA Ames Intelligent Systems Division, and an AIAA Publications Committee member. Kapania was chosen from a group of highly qualified candidates.

“Being selected as the Editor-in-Chief of AIAA’s Journal of Aircraft, one of the most prestigious journals in aircraft engineering, is a tremendous honor. Succeeding one of the giants of aircraft engineering, Mark Drela, is very humbling. I am thrilled to take this role at a time when there are enormous ongoing developments in all facets of aircraft engineering, including advanced air mobility, autonomy, artificial intelligence, materials, advanced manufacturing, and hypersonic vehicles.” said Kapania.

Kapania received his doctoral degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University, M.S. from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and B.S. from the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India. At Virginia Tech he has taught courses related to aerospace structures and computational methods. His research interests are analysis and design of aerospace structures, computational aeroelasticity, composite structures, multidisciplinary analysis and design optimization, and machine learning. Kapania has published nearly 240 archival journal articles and more than 385 proceeding papers, a significant number of them at AIAA conferences. He has guided/co-guided 59 Ph.D. and 77 M.S. students and 20 Postdoctoral Fellows. Kapania has a long history of service to AIAA, serving on technical committees, two tours of duty as an associate editor of the AIAA Journal, as a member of the editorial advisory board of the AIAA Education Series, and as Faculty Advisor to Virginia Tech’s Design/ Build/Fly team. A winner of the AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Award (2016) and Boeing Welliver Summer Fellowship (1996), Kapania is a Fellow of AIAA and the Royal Aeronautical Society.

The Journal of Aircraft is devoted to the advancement of the applied science and technology of airborne flight through the dissemination of original archival papers describing significant advances in aircraft, the operation of aircraft, and applications of aircraft technology to other fields.

For more information on the Journal of Aircraft, contact David Arthur, Senior Director, Publications.

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, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

AIAA and Cassyni Expand Seminar Programme Across Journals and Books

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The partnership will build on the success of the AIAA Journal Seminars, to engage the global aerospace community with AI-enhanced video

RESTON, VA & LONDON — 27 October 2025 — AIAA and Cassyni are expanding their collaboration to scale AI-enhanced seminars across AIAA journals and the AIAA book series. The programme brings researchers and practitioners together around trusted AIAA content, with on-demand, citable video that is integrated into the scholarly ecosystem.

The expansion builds on the AIAA Journal (AIAAJ) Seminars—editorially curated talks featuring leaders from academia and industry. The series presents high-quality seminars spanning aeronautics and astronautics, with two tracks: one linked to published journal articles and another on emerging, potentially disruptive topics that inspire the next generation and surface research still to be done.

AIAAJ has already seen the “Cassyni Effect”: seminar engagement converting into new submissions and published articles from attendees—outcomes echoed across Cassyni partners where seminars lift downloads, citations, and submission intent.

As part of the expansion, additional AIAA journals and the AIAAJ book series will introduce author and community seminars. Every recording will be published on Cassyni with a DOI and AI-enhanced discovery features, boosting visibility and promoting year-round community engagement between AIAA conferences.

As part of the expansion, seminars will be integrated into AIAA’s editorial workflows to automate author invitations and publishing, enabling efficient roll-out across titles.

Ben Kaube, Co-founder, Cassyni, said: “By pairing AIAA’s trusted content with Cassyni’s AI-enhanced seminars—and integrating the process into editorial systems—we turn passive discovery into active participation and measurable impact.”

Michele Dominiak, Senior Vice President, Publishing and Education, AIAA, said: “This expansion gives our global community more ways to connect with AIAA content and each other—accelerating discovery, elevating author voices, and strengthening the pipeline of new, high-quality submissions.”

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

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 LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.

AIAA Announces Faculty Advisor Award Recipients

November 7, 2025 – AIAA has announced six recipients of the Faculty Advisor Award, which recognizes faculty advisors at chartered AIAA Student Branches who have made outstanding contributions to their branch and to local, regional, and national activities.

“Faculty advisors are the backbone of our student branches. These six remarkable individuals don’t just advise—they mentor, advocate, and connect students to the university, AIAA, and our broader aerospace community,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “Their passion is igniting the next generation. They are propelling students beyond the lecture halls and labs to achieve the breakthroughs that will shape the future of aerospace.”

Mohammad Ayoubi, Santa Clara University
Danilo de Camargo Branco, Florida Institute of Technology
Wout De Backer, University of South Carolina
Michael Denn, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Mostafa Hassanalian, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Arif Malik, University of Texas at Dallas

The individuals will be recognized at an awards recognition event during AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 in Orlando, Florida, on 12 January. They also will be recognized locally by their AIAA professional sections.

AIAA has 263 student branches, with a total active membership of over 9,000 students worldwide. Student branches foster opportunities for collaboration and serve as a club for engineering students on campus. The faculty advisor plays a critical role in sustaining student branches and encouraging their growth and success.

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 LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.

2026 AIAA Durand Lectureship for Public Service Awarded to University of Colorado Boulder’s Brian Argrow

Lecture Set for Monday, 12 January, During AIAA SciTech Forum 2026

November 17, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2026 AIAA Durand Lectureship for Public Service is awarded to Brian M. Argrow, Distinguished Professor and Glenn L. Murphy Endowed Chair, Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences; Director, Integrated Remote & In Situ Sensing Program (IRISS), University of Colorado Boulder.

Argrow will deliver his lecture, “Aerospace Engineering for Science and Public Safety: Aerial Robots to Explore Tornadogenesis,” on Monday, 12 January, 3:30 p.m. ET, during the SciTech Forum, Orlando, Florida. Forum registration is available now. Journalists can request press credentials to cover the forum at [email protected].

Argrow is founding Director of the Integrated Remote & In Situ Sensing Program (IRISS) and founding Director (Emeritus) of the Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles (RECUV) at the University of Colorado Boulder. His research covers the design and field deployment of small UAS, aero-gasdynamics, and hypersonics. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and AIAA Fellow. He received the Department of the Air Force Exemplary Civilian Service Award for service on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.

In 2024, the 30-year average for tornado-related fatalities in the United States stood at 72 per year. This figure masks episodic tornado events over just the past 20 years that resulted in 126, 553, and 104 fatalities, respectively, in 2008, 2011, and 2021. Recent studies of tornado warning statistics indicate that from 1986 to 2011 the average tornado warning time in the United States was about 18.5 minutes but has been about 15 minutes since (yes, a decrease in warning time). Severe storms researchers seek to understand how storms, particularly supercell thunderstorms, create tornadoes while forecast and warning researchers seek to use that knowledge to increase tornado warning times. In 2010, aerospace engineers from the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) teamed with meteorologists from the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) for the first intercepts of supercell thunderstorms using uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) during the “Second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX-2).” Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NOAA, VORTEX-2 remains the largest study of tornadogenesis to date. The cross-disciplinary CU-UNL team has continued to advance capabilities for increasingly autonomous and collaborative small UAS deployed from highly mobile ground stations, including the 2019 Targeted Observations with Radar and UAS of Supercells (TORUS) field campaign, involving many participants from VORTEX-2. The research continues through long-term university and agency collaborations that are seeking answers to tornadogenesis—the atmospheric conditions and processes that create tornadoes.

Argrow’s lecture presents 30 years of research and development of small aerial robots that continue to be deployed to increase knowledge of tornadogenesis while contributing to public safety by supporting advances in accurate and life-saving methods for tornado prediction, detection, and warnings.

The Durand Lectureship for Public Service, named in honor of William F. Durand, Ph.D., is presented for notable achievements by a scientific or technical leader whose contributions have led directly to the understanding and application of the science and technology of aeronautics and astronautics for the betterment of humanity. Durand was a United States naval officer and a pioneer in mechanical engineering. During his remarkable 99-year life, Durand contributed significantly to the development of aircraft propellers. He was the first civilian chair of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the forerunner of NASA.

The Institute’s Public Policy Committee takes pride in selecting accomplished leaders in aeronautics and astronautics for this honor who can share their knowledge through the Durand Lecture for Public Service. For more information about the AIAA Honors and Awards program, contact Patricia A. Carr at [email protected] .

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, APR, [email protected] , 804.397.5270

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 aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

2026 AIAA Dryden Lectureship in Research Awarded to Thomas C. Corke, University of Notre Dame

Lecture Set for 13 January During AIAA SciTech Forum 2026

November 17, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2026 AIAA Dryden Lectureship in Research is awarded to Thomas C. Corke, Clark Chair Professor of Engineering, University of Notre Dame.

Corke will deliver his lecture, “Active Drag Reduction with Net Power Savings in Turbulent Boundary Layers – Physics and Scaling,” Tuesday, 13 January, 3:30 p.m. ET, during the SciTech Forum, Orlando, Florida. Forum registration is available now. Journalists can request press credentials to cover the forum at [email protected].

Corke is the Founding Director of the Notre Dame Institute for Flow Physics and Control (FlowPAC), the third Director of the Notre Dame Hessert Laboratory for Aerospace Research, and currently the Director of the Hypersonic Systems Initiative. He is internationally recognized for his research in the areas of fluid instabilities and transition, plasma dynamics, and flow control covering a full range of flow fields and Mach numbers from incompressible to hypersonic. He is a Fellow of APS, ASME, and AIAA, and founding Chair of the new Fluid Instabilities and Transition TC. Among his many publications, he is the author of three textbooks.

Corke’s lecture examines the realization of a long-sought capability in aeronautics, namely significant turbulent boundary layer net skin friction drag reduction. Laminar flow control can be applied for skin friction reduction on wings, tails, and engines; however, for sizable transports and many other applications, significant turbulent boundary layer drag reduction has long been sought. The new approach, essentially an aerodynamic breakthrough, will utilize plasma aerodynamics to control the turbulence production processes in the boundary layer (sometimes termed “coherent structures”) that are linked to viscous drag. The essential control approach is the imposition of a small spanwise mean flow, in a very economically energetic fashion. Experiments thus far indicate excellent net drag reduction performance up to Mach 0.5, with indications of similar performance into supersonic regimes. This turbulence control/large net-drag reduction success has informed the understanding of boundary layer turbulence dynamics. Fuselage turbulent skin friction accounts for 25% of the drag on a conventional transport at cruise. It holds a much greater percentage for advanced designs with greater aspect ratios and laminar flow wings. This technology appears to be capable of reducing the turbulent skin friction of such aircraft by a net 50% amount. The lecture concludes by outlining a plan for an upcoming flight test.

The Dryden Lectureship in Research is one of the most prestigious lectureships bestowed by the Institute. Since the inaugural lecture in 1961, it has been a catalyst for sharing research advancements and knowledge. This premier lecture is named in honor of Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, a renowned aerospace leader and a director of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA, as well as the first deputy administrator of NASA when the agency was created in 1958. The award emphasizes the importance of basic research in advancing aeronautics and astronautics. For more information about the AIAA Honors and Awards program, contact Patricia A. Carr at [email protected] .

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, or follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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.

AIAA Statement on Senate Confirmation of Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 17, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) issued the following statement from AIAA CEO Clay Mowry on the United States Senate’s confirmation of Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator:

“Congratulations to Jared Isaacman on his confirmation as NASA’s 15th administrator. His leadership comes at a pivotal time for the agency as it advances ambitious exploration goals, strengthens partnerships across government and industry, and delivers scientific and technological value for the nation.

Administrator Isaacman brings a unique combination of operational and leadership experience to NASA. As a flight-rated pilot and commander of two commercial space missions, he understands the demands of human flight firsthand, both in the atmosphere and in low Earth orbit. We appreciated working with him during ASCEND 2021, where he spoke after his first space flight. Combined with his record of entrepreneurial leadership, his background positions him well to guide NASA through an increasingly complex technical and policy environment.

AIAA looks forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with NASA under his leadership. Our community remains committed to supporting the agency’s mission by strengthening the aerospace workforce, advancing research and innovation, and sustaining U.S. leadership in civil space and aeronautics.”

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

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 X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Strengthens International Engagement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Event in Turin, Italy, Launches Local Representation for EMEA

27 January 2026 – Turin, Italy – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) convened an international gathering on Monday at the Palace Asinari di San Marzano, the headquarters of Italian satellite manufacturer Space Industries, to launch AIAA’s new representation for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. AIAA’s efforts in the EMEA region will be led by Davide Petrillo and Martina Bruno based in Turin.

“As the world’s largest aerospace professional institute, AIAA is building deeper connections across the global aerospace community. This event highlights the value of transatlantic dialogue and shared technical expertise. Local engagement matters. Our presence in EMEA allows us to serve regional priorities and strengthen relationships that support aerospace supply chains and innovation across borders,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.

The gathering, attended by representatives from government institutions and industry, included remarks from Giuseppe Santangelo, Chief Executive Officer of Space Industries. “We are proud to host AIAA at our headquarters, as this partnership aligns with the long-term vision of Space Industries. The space market is changing fast, with new commercial players and visionary companies relying on space data for business. We are pleased to collaborate with AIAA because our ambition goes beyond serial satellite manufacturing to support a connected, collaborative, and industrially mature commercial space ecosystem,” Santangelo said.

The program included a panel titled “Cross-Atlantic Synergies for Space Innovation in a Changing World.” The discussion examined how the space sector is rapidly evolving beyond its traditional boundaries and increasingly interacting with diverse non-space industries. Panelists included Luisella Giulicchi (European Space Agency), Clay Mowry (AIAA), Maria Antonietta Perino (Thales Alenia Space Italy), and Alessandra Vernile (Italian Space Agency). They highlighted the opportunities for cross-sector integration, as well as the challenges created by geopolitical shifts. The panel emphasized strong transatlantic collaboration as a foundation for building a resilient marketplace capable of accelerating innovation and ensuring long-term sustainable development in space.

AIAA welcomed new Corporate Members from the region. “We are proud to welcome Space Industries, GENERGO, and Kurs Orbital to the AIAA family. Their participation reflects the growing interest of European and international organizations in engaging with AIAA’s global network of researchers, engineers, innovators, and industry leaders,” Mowry added.

In addition, AIAA formalized two strategic collaborations by signing Memoranda of Understanding with WIA-Europe (Women in Aerospace Europe) and AIDAA (Associazione Italiana di Aeronautica e Astronautica). The agreements reinforce AIAA’s commitment to promoting international cooperation, supporting diversity in aerospace, and strengthening scientific and professional exchange between global communities.

Media Contacts:

Davide Petrillo, [email protected], + 39 348 5405622 Cell

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 33,000 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 or follow AIAA on LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.

AIAA Announces New Student Branches

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 26, 2026 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce it has provisionally chartered five new student branches at the AIAA Council of Directors meeting during AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 in Orlando, Florida.

The five new student branches have been granted three-year provisional charters to ensure they are sustainable before being officially chartered as a student branch. The universities include:

Baylor University – Waco, Texas
South Dakota State University – Brookings, South Dakota
University of Texas Permian Basin – Odessa, Texas
Wilbur Wright College – Chicago, Illinois
Zewail City Science and Technology – Cairo, Egypt

“It’s an exciting moment as we welcome these new student branches to AIAA – totaling 268. By expanding our global network reaching more students, we are enriching our community. We’re eager to see the impact these future leaders will have on the aerospace industry,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.

To find out how your institution can establish a student branch, visit aiaa.org/get-involved/university-students/student-branches.

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 LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.