Tag: AIAA Press Release

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.

Aerospace Award Winners to be Honored at AIAA SciTech Forum 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

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

LITERARY AWARDS

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

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

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

Lauren Sánchez Bezos
The Fly Who Flew To Space

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About AIAA

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

AIAA Announces 2026 Sustained Service Awards Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

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

The 2026 Sustained Service Awards winners are:

Melissa Carter, NASA Langley Research Center

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

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

David Casbeer, Air Force Research Laboratory

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

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

Wayne Hurwitz, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems

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

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

Elizabeth Lee-Rausch, NASA Langley Research Center

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

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

Michael Oppenheimer, Air Force Research Laboratory

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

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

Kerri Phillips, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

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

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

Joshua Rovey, University of Illinois

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

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

Todd Treichel, Sierra Space

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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 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 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 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:

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

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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

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

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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:

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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!

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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.

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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.