Tag: Announce

AIAA and Club for the Future Announce Recipient of 2024 Resilient Student Scholarship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 9, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and Blue Origin’s non-profit Club for the Future are pleased to announce the recipient of their 2024 Resilient Student Scholarship is Rylie Tatum from Mableton, GA. Rylie is a recent high school graduate of The Lovett School, Atlanta, GA. She will attend Princeton University in the Fall.

“We created the AIAA and Club for the Future’s Resilient Student Scholarship with a strong commitment to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the aerospace industry. As our newest scholarship, it’s specifically designed to empower and inspire students who have faced unique challenges including disabilities and socioeconomic circumstances, as well as first-generation college students. We’re thrilled to present this $10,000 scholarship and a professional mentor to Rylie. We can’t wait to see how she shapes the future of aerospace,” said Laura McGill, chair, AIAA Foundation.

Throughout high school, Rylie took the highest-level STEM courses available. She formed a robotics team at her school and has been captain of the FIRST Tech Challenge team for three years. In this role, she encourages and leads a female team. At the 2022 FIRST National Championships, Rylie conducted a presentation, “Where Are All of the Black Girls in Robotics,” where she highlighted academic research and her personal experiences to illustrate how to support and motivate girls to get into robotics.

When Rylie realized that a lack of feminine care products leads to young women missing out on their education, she began creating an app to network organizations across Atlanta to increase product access for them. “As a Black girl interested in engineering, I have experience in being the only representation in the room, but a lack of women in the engineering field partially stems from female students avoiding STEM-related classes,” noted Rylie. “Constant absenteeism for a week per month results in discouragement for aspiring female engineers, so the idea of period poverty restricting others from studying engineering prompted me to take action.” Over the last three years, she has led annual feminine care drives with the Girl Up club to provide 18,000 products and benefit 4,000 girls. She also hopes to design period product dispensers that will use sensors, capture datasets for trends, and use automation to solve a significant problem that does not receive the visibility and investment that it deserves.

Rylie’s ultimate goal is to earn her Ph.D. in Aerospace, Astronautical, or Mechanical Engineering to conduct colonization models on the moon. She aspires to be the first African American female astronaut of Caribbean descent to work on the moon or Mars and encourage and enable the next generation of STEMinists.

“We are incredibly proud to award Rylie Tatum with this scholarship, recognizing her remarkable achievements in advocating for young women,” said Michael Edmonds, President of Club for the Future. “Our collaboration with AIAA to create the Resilient Student Scholarship is focused on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within STEAM careers. Rylie is already an inspiration for the next generation, and we look forward to seeing her impact grow. Congratulations, Rylie!”

The 2025 Resilient Student Scholarship will be open for applicants in December 2024.

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

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

About Club for the Future
Founded by Blue Origin, Club for the Future is a non-profit with the mission to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) for the benefit of Earth. The Club and its partners are doing this through the Postcards to Space program, providing space-focused lessons and events, and activating ambassadors around the world.

Challenger Center and AIAA Announce 2024 Trailblazing STEM Educator Awardees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Three STEM Educators and Schools Receive Cash Awards and Free STEM Programming

Washington and Reston, Va. (March 5, 2024) – Challenger Center and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announce Jenn Donais, Sarah Leonard, and Darryl Newhouse as the winners of the 2024 Trailblazing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Educator Award. Each teacher and their respective schools will be awarded $5,000. Additionally, each teacher will receive free access to Challenger Center STEM programming, a trip to Washington, D.C., to be honored at the 2024 AIAA Awards Gala, and an invitation to attend a future space launch experience.

In its third year, the award celebrates K-12 teachers who go above and beyond to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators. The three winners come from schools across the United States and were selected from nearly 50 nominations. The nominations demonstrate the remarkable efforts teachers make every day to empower underserved and underrepresented students in STEM while using unique strategies, tools, and lessons in and out of the classroom to further energize students.

The 2024 Trailblazing STEM Educator Award recipients are (in alphabetical order by last name):

  • Jenn_Donais_profile_headshot-webJenn Donais, STEM Coach at Amesbury Middle School (Amesbury, Mass.). With 15 years of education experience, Donais prepares students for STEM careers through innovative STEM curricula, immersive STEM days, and career fairs. As an international STEM trainer, she has facilitated professional development sessions in the United Arab Emirates, collaborated with schools nationwide on STEM development, and has contributed to journals and other platforms to improve STEM engagement. In collaboration with Challenger Learning Center at the Christa McAuliffe Center, Framingham State University, Donais founded the Massachusetts Teacher STEM Fair, providing students and teachers with STEM engagement opportunities. She is a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching awardee, Project Lead The Way Lead Launch Teacher, and Google Certified Coach.
  • Leonard-S._Appoquinimink_Headshot-webSarah Leonard, Career and Technical Education Department Lead at Redding Middle School (Middletown, Del.). As an educator for 12 years, with Project Lead The Way certification, Leonard creates inclusive and equitable learning environments for all students. This school year, Leonard organized STEM Connection Stations for the district’s Education Showcase Night, collaborated with NASA Johnson Space Center to secure the loan of an authentic NASA model for the school, and will be participating in the Civil Air Patrol’s Educator Flight program. She serves as advisor for the National Junior Honor Society and the STEM Connect Club, and she is a member of the Association for Career and Technical Education, AIAA, and Civil Air Patrol. She has been honored with the Delaware STEM Educator Award and 2024 Delaware District 2 VFW Teacher of the Year Award.
  • DN_Headshot-op2-webDarryl Newhouse, Engineering, Design, Mathematics, and Robotics Teacher at Foshay Learning Center (Los Angeles, Calif.). For more than 25 years, Newhouse has been igniting students’ passion and building excitement about STEM through robotics and technology. He established an engineering pathway for middle school and high school students, and successfully implemented an academically rigorous program using Project Lead The Way curriculum. As lead coach for the school’s FIRSTâ Robotics team, he emphasizes not only technical skills, but 21st-century skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and team building, as well as community service. Through project-based learning activities, he has made math and science more meaningful to students, preparing underrepresented and disadvantaged youth for post-secondary opportunities and STEM careers.

“We are thrilled to award Jenn, Sarah, and Darryl with the 2024 Trailblazing STEM Educator Award. Not only do these educators create equitable STEM learning environments for students of all backgrounds, but they provide opportunities for their students to experience real-life STEM careers, opening the possibilities for their futures,” said Lance Bush, President and CEO of Challenger Center. “With educators like them, we are preparing an inspired and capable STEM workforce of tomorrow.”

The U.S. aerospace and defense industry leads the world in innovation, while still facing challenges of staffing a properly skilled and qualified workforce. Crucial gaps in diversity, equity, and inclusion must be addressed – more STEM-literate graduates are needed, greater participation is needed by women and ethnic minorities, and early retirements are creating a growing knowledge gap.

“These three Trailblazing STEM Educator Award winners are remarkable educators! We believe teachers are invaluable to their communities. We are pleased to fuel the work of these great educators with extra resources to help them continue going above and beyond. They are enabling a diverse and robust STEM-literate next generation. Together, they are shaping the future of aerospace,” said Dan Dumbacher, CEO, AIAA.

The winners will be recognized at the 2024 AIAA Awards Gala, scheduled for May 15 at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.* The evening celebrates the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace. Tickets are available now.

Each winner can select from Challenger Center’s suite of hands-on, simulated learning experiences based on their classes’ needs. Center Missions, delivered at Challenger Learning Centers around the globe; Virtual Missions, delivered by Challenger Learning Center Flight Directors to students in and out of the classroom; and Classroom Adventures, digital experiences delivered by teachers in their classrooms, bring classroom lessons to life through exciting Earth- and space-themed journeys.

* Note: This event is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.

About Challenger Center
As a leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, Challenger Center provides hundreds of thousands of students annually with experiential education programs that engage students in hands-on learning opportunities. These programs, delivered in Challenger Learning Centers and classrooms, strengthen knowledge in STEM subjects and inspire students to pursue careers in these important fields. Challenger Center was created by the Challenger families to honor the crew of shuttle flight STS-51L. For more information about Challenger Center, please visit www.challenger.org or connect on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

About AIAA Foundation
The AIAA Foundation inspires and supports the next generation of aerospace professionals. From classroom to career, the AIAA Foundation enables innovative K-12 and university programming, including STEM classroom grants, scholarships, conferences, and hands-on competitions. Founded in 1996, the AIAA Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization connected to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

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

AIAA and HYSKY Society Announce New Advanced Hydrogen Aviation Short Course

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 19, 2024 – Reston, Va. –  The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce a new continuing education course on hydrogen aviation developed in collaboration with HYSKY Society, an association committed to decarbonizing aviation with hydrogen. The course, “Advanced Hydrogen Aerospace Technologies and Design,” debuts Tuesday, 8 October, with instruction online twice weekly through 7 November. Participants also can access recorded sessions.

Hydrogen aviation uses hydrogen fuel cells or combustion, and represents a groundbreaking shift in aerospace engineering, with the potential to reduce the global warming effect of flying by 50 to 90%, according to Clean Aviation. With global emphasis on decarbonization and sustainable energy solutions, hydrogen-powered aviation is at the forefront of transforming air travel and could feasibly power short-haul aircraft as early as 2035.

“AIAA is pleased to partner with HYSKY Society on this timely new course. Hydrogen-powered flight is an important part of our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions in aviation. Leveraging technical expertise from both organizations, this new continuing education offering accelerates our community’s leadership toward a sustainable aviation future,” said AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher.

Taught by leading experts in hydrogen aviation, the course targets aerospace engineers, electrical/ mechanical engineers, and professionals interested in zero-carbon electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems, and launch vehicles. Students will learn hydrogen fundamentals before deep diving into fixed wing and VTOL H2 design. The course concludes with sessions on the future of hydrogen-enabled airports, regulatory policies, and economic implications of this aerospace transformation.

Attendees will earn 20 classroom hours or 2.0 CEU/PDH. The AIAA member price is $945; student member enrollment is $495; non-member pricing is $1,145. Group discounts are available.

For more information or to register, visit the AIAA course webpage.

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

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