Tag: Announces

AIAA Announces 2023 Sustained Service Awards Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 5, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Sustained Service Awards. The award recognizes “sustained, significant service and contributions to AIAA by members of the Institute.”

“AIAA volunteers are the aerospace community’s greatest resource,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “These AIAA members lead by example, using their talent and energy to guide the community. We are grateful for their dedication and hard work.”

Recipients must be 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 2023 Sustained Service Awards winners are:

  • David-L-CarrollDavid L. Carroll, CU Aerospace LLC
    Citation: For distinguished and sustained service to AIAA; the enhancement of science, innovation, and entrepreneurial leadership in aerospace engineering; and education of scientist engineers.Carroll co-founded CU Aerospace in 1998 and has served as its president since 2011. The company’s focus is engineering innovation for new aerospace technology products. He received his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1992. Carroll is an AIAA Fellow.
  • John-W-DailyJohn W. Daily, University of Colorado Boulder
    Citation: In recognition of sustained contributions to the Institute’s technical services, publications, and education committees.Daily is Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1975. He works in the field of combustion and fire. He has served AIAA in numerous positions and is an AIAA Fellow.
  • Luisella-GiulicchiLuisella Giulicchi, European Space Agency
    Citation: For over two decades of service to the Institute’s governance, regional organization, and technical activities, and for being the advocate of international cooperation and AIAA engagement worldwide.Giulicchi is a system manager at the European Space Agency (ESA), The Netherlands, for the Copernicus Program – the largest operational Earth observation program in the world. Her technical and programmatic management contributions include Bepi Colombo, SMART-1, LISA Pathfinder, Copernicus Sentinel-1, and Copernicus Sentinel-6. She is an AIAA Associate Fellow, RAeS Fellow, WIA-Europe President, and past member of the AIAA Board of Directors.
  • Walter-O-GordonWalter O. Gordon, Moog Inc. (retired); Colonel, U.S. Air Force (retired)
    Citation: For exceptional service to AIAA and for significant advancement of aerospace activities.Gordon worked as an engineer in Western New York for 41 years before retiring recently to devote his time to the AIAA Niagara Frontier Section and to local aerospace history. He also flew C130s in the Air Force Reserve, retiring in 2014 as the commander of the 914th Airlift Wing.
  • Dawn-PhillipsDawn Phillips, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
    Citation: In honor of 20 years of dedicated service, leadership, and tireless work on behalf of AIAA, the AIAA Structures Technical Committee, and AIAA members.With NASA, Phillips has supported the Space Shuttle, Ares, and SLS programs as a stress analyst and member of the NESC Structures Team. She is currently in Huntsville, Ala., as the MSFC Assistant Chief Engineer for the International Space Station.
  • Sidra-SiltonSidra Silton, U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory
    Citation: For two decades of dedicated service to the applied aerodynamics and fluid dynamics technical communities.Silton received her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001. Upon graduation she began working for the Army Research Laboratory where she now serves as Chief of the Mechanical Sciences Division. Silton is an AIAA Associate Fellow.

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 aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2022 Undergraduate Scholarship and Graduate Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 1, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation has announced the 25 winners of its 2022 undergraduate scholarships and graduate awards. Through its Foundation and supported by nearly 30,000 members, AIAA awards over $100,000 in academic scholarships and STEM educational grants to support the next generation of aerospace professionals.

“Congratulations to these exemplary students on receiving scholarships and awards to further their education. Preparing the next generation of aerospace innovators is part of our commitment to the aerospace community,” said Basil Hassan, chair, AIAA Foundation. “The students recognized here are some of our industry’s next leaders and problem-solvers. We are proud to call them AIAA student members and we look forward to seeing how they shape the future of aerospace.”

Applications for the 2023 scholarships and awards are being accepted from 1 October 2022 to 31 January 2023.

The 2022 undergraduate scholarship winners are:

    • The AIAA Foundation, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, is pleased to present the inaugural AIAA Lockheed Martin Marillyn Hewson Scholarship to the following two students. This $10,000 scholarship is a needs-based award presented to one female high school graduate and one female enrolled university student each year.
      • Julianna Schneider, accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
      • Penelope Nieves, currently enrolled at University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico)
    • The $10,000 Daedalus 88 Scholarship, endowed by former AIAA President John Langford, founder and CEO Emeritus of Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company, and founder and CEO of Electra.aero, was presented to Rebecca Gilligan, University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio).
    • The $10,000 David and Catherine Thompson Space Technology Scholarship, named for and endowed by former AIAA President David Thompson, retired chairman, chief executive officer, and president of Orbital ATK, Dulles, Virginia, and his wife Catherine, was presented to Kaila Coimbra, California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California).
    • The $5,000 Vicki and George Muellner Scholarship for Aerospace Engineering, named for and endowed by the late Lt. Gen. George Muellner, U.S. Air Force, former AIAA president, and president of advanced systems for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, and his wife Vicki, was presented to Michael Esry, Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana).
    • The $5,000 Wernher von Braun Scholarship, named in honor of the German rocketeer and founder of the U.S. space program, was presented to Satvik Kumar, Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia).
  • The $1,250 Leatrice Gregory Pendray Scholarship, named in honor of Mrs. Leatrice Pendray, an accomplished rocketry researcher and co-founder of the American Interplanetary Society in 1930 was presented to Eszter Anna Varga, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Blacksburg, Virginia).

Six AIAA Foundation scholarships were presented by AIAA technical committees (TC) to students performing research in the TC’s area:

    • The Space Transportation TC presented a $1,500 scholarship to Rebecca Zurek, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, Florida).
    • The Digital Avionics TC presented five scholarships of $3,000 each:
    • The Dr. James Rankin Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Patrick Bailey, University of South Carolina (Columbia, South Carolina).
    • The Dr. Amy R. Pritchett Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Adam Hale, Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah).
    • The Ellis F. Hitt Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Justin Self, California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, California).
    • The Cary Spitzer Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Jesus Delgado, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Florida).
    • The Denise Ponchak Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Sanjay Kuruchanvalasu Jambulingam, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India)

The 2022 graduate award winners are:

    • Michelle Lin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Cambridge, Massachusetts, received the Neil Armstrong Graduate Award. This $5,000 award honors the character and achievements of the late astronaut, military pilot, and educator, Neil A. Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the moon.
    • Brigid Donohue and John Parrish, both from North Carolina State University (NCSU), are the recipients of the Dr. Hassan A. Hassan Graduate Award in Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Hassan established the award shortly before his death in January 2019 to entice top NCSU aerospace engineering seniors, who also are AIAA members, to earn their graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in aerospace engineering at NCSU. Two $5,000 awards are presented each year.
    • Javier Viana, University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio), received the John Leland Atwood Graduate Award. Established in 1999, the $1,250 award, sponsored by endowments from Rockwell and what is now The Boeing Company and named in memory of John Leland “Lee” Atwood, former chief executive officer of Rockwell, North America, recognizes a student actively engaged in research in the areas covered by the technical committees of AIAA.
  • Shashank Maurya, University of Maryland – College Park (College Park, Maryland), and Abinash Sahoo, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina), each received the Orville and Wilbur Wright Graduate Award. These $5,000 awards, given in memory of the Wright brothers’ contributions to the evolution of flight, recognize two full-time graduate students.

Six AIAA TCs also presented graduate awards:

    • Damien Guého, Pennsylvania State University (State College, Pennsylvania), received the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) TC’s $2,500 Guidance, Navigation and Control Graduate Award.
    • Tengjie Gao, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Florida), received the Liquid Propulsion TC’s $2,500 Liquid Propulsion Graduate Award.
    • Aashutosh Mishra, Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama), received the Modeling and Simulation TC’s $3,500 Luis de Florez Graduate Award.
  • Hongyuan Zhang, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota), received the Propellants and Combustion TC’s $1,250 Martin Summerfield Propellants and Combustion Graduate Award.
    • Rishi Roy, University of Maryland – College Park (College Park, Maryland) received the Air Breathing Propulsion TC’s $1,000 Gordon C. Oates Air Breathing Propulsion Graduate Award.
  • Michael Harwin, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Florida) received the General Aviation TC’s $1,000 William T. Piper Sr. Graduate Award.

 

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

AIAA Announces 2025 Sustained Service Awards Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 3, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Sustained Service Awards. The award recognizes sustained, significant service and contributions to AIAA by members of the Institute.

“Volunteers are the driving force of the Institute – we couldn’t achieve our mission without the ingenuity, hands-on collaboration, and selfless service of our members,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “This year’s Sustained Service honorees exemplify servant leadership. We are grateful for their invaluable 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 2025 Sustained Service Awards winners are:

  • Steven X. BauerSteven X. Bauer, NASA Langley Research Center
    For sustained leadership, service, and contributions to the Hampton Roads Section, Region I, and AIAA National.Bauer became an AIAA student member in his freshman year of college, 1981. He served as student branch officer and has held many positions in the Hampton Roads Section, including section chair. He was the Region I Director for six years. Bauer has worked at NASA Langley Research Center since 1983 and is retiring in December 2024.
  • Gene R. DionneGene R. Dionne, Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)
    For his passionate, unmatched support of AIAA and the Rocky Mountain Section through volunteering across all committees.Dionne spent 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, mostly in space systems acquisition and technology development. He was intimate in the manufacturing, integration, test and launch/on-orbit operations of ~30 satellites, which all exceeded their mean mission durations. Dionne spent 22 years at Lockheed Martin Space in systems engineering and program management. He was selected as AIAA Fellow in 2014, and served on the Fellows Selection Committee for three years. He was AIAA Rocky Mountain Section Chair for two years and continued to assist on the section’s executive council for another 20 years as the “Fellow-at-large.”
  • Trevor S. ElliottTrevor S. Elliott, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
    For prolific, dedicated, and outstanding service to AIAA forums, technical committees, student teams, outreach groups, rocketry organizations, and aerospace communities leading to numerous student-led recognitions.Elliott is a UC Foundation Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He serves as primary Faculty Advisor for the UTC Racing Mocs, SAE Chapter, and the UTC Rocket Mocs, roles where he has guided teams that have won national placement in collegiate competitions and set a world record in amateur rocketry. He is an active member of the AIAA Solid Rockets Technical Committee and Hybrid Rockets Technical Committee chair and technical discipline chair.
  • David C. FlemingDavid C. Fleming, University of Michigan
    For sustained service to the Cape Canaveral Section and Florida Institute of Technology Student Branch through continued participation, council leadership, and unwavering dedication to AIAA’s mission.Fleming earned a B.S. degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park. He served on the faculty of the Florida Institute of Technology for 28 years, including a three-year term as department head. Fleming was faculty adviser of the AIAA Florida Tech Student Branch for over 25 years. Currently, he serves as Lecturer at the University of Michigan.
  • Aaron L. Harcrow Jr.Aaron L. Harcrow Jr., No Box Innovations
    For over 30 years of outstanding and sustained service to the Atlanta Section and Region II, contributing to the success of the Section.Harcrow joined AIAA as a student member in 1981 and regards his 42-plus-years membership as a learning experience in the many ways to volunteer for AIAA, for which there appears to be no end in sight! In addition to volunteering for AIAA, Harcrow has developed multidisciplinary skills in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, project management, innovative design, product development, CAD/CAM/CNC, computer programming, and teaching undergraduate engineering courses. He holds one USPTO patent.
  • Christopher J. PestakChristopher J. Pestak, HX5, LLC
    For dedicated service to AIAA and the field of aerospace for over 40 years, and holding significant leadership positions within AIAA.Pestak is Program Manager of the Glenn Engineering and Research Support (GEARS) contract for HX5, LLC. He manages 350 staff supporting NASA Glenn Research Center performing wide-ranging work in space and aeronautics. Spaceflight systems have been a primary focus of his 42-year career. Pestak holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Industrial Engineering, both from Cleveland State University. He is an AIAA Fellow.
  • Robert W. PitzRobert W. Pitz, Vanderbilt University
    For over three decades of distinguished and continuous service to AIAA, especially in national leadership roles involving publication, honors, ethics, and technical committee activities.Pitz has mechanical engineering degrees from Purdue University (B.S.) and UC Berkeley (M.S. and Ph.D.). After five years at GE Research, he joined Vanderbilt University where he is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and served as Department Chair (1998–2017). He won the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award (1987) and AIAA Best Paper Award in Propellants & Combustion (1996). Pitz is an AIAA Fellow. He also is a Fellow of ASME and the Combustion Institute.

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 aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on X/TwitterFacebookLinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces its Class of 2023 Honorary Fellows and Fellows

Three Honorary Fellows and 28 Fellows Elected

February 13, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) proudly congratulates its newly elected Class of 2023 Honorary Fellows and Fellows. The three new Honorary Fellows and 28 new Fellows will be inducted at a ceremony on Wednesday, 17 May, in Arlington, Virginia. AIAA will celebrate the new Honorary Fellows and Fellows during the AIAA Awards Gala, Thursday, 18 May, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts*, Washington, DC. Tickets for the AIAA Awards Gala are available now.

“The Class of 2023 AIAA Honorary Fellows and Fellows are among the best minds in the aerospace profession. I commend each member of this year’s Class for their many accomplishments,” said Laura McGill, AIAA President. “These distinguished individuals have earned the respect and gratitude of our broad science and engineering community. We are in awe of their creativity and exceptional contributions to advance the performance and capability of aerospace systems.”

Honorary Fellow is the highest distinction conferred by AIAA and recognizes preeminent individuals who have had long and highly contributory careers in aerospace and who embody the highest possible standards in aeronautics and astronautics. In 1933, Orville Wright became the first AIAA Honorary Fellow. Today, AIAA Honorary Fellows and AIAA Fellows are the most respected names in the aerospace industry.

AIAA confers the distinction of 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, 2,036 distinguished persons have been elected as a Fellow.

“AIAA takes great pride in honoring the Class of 2023 Honorary Fellows and Fellows. These professionals have made significant and lasting contributions to the aerospace community. Their passion and dedication are inspiring the generations that follow to reach even greater heights,” added Dan Dumbacher, AIAA Executive Director.

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

2023 AIAA Honorary Fellows
Mark Drela, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
James G. Maser, Aerojet Rocketdyne
William A. Sirignano, University of California, Irvine

2023 AIAA Fellows
Behçet Açıkmeşe, University of Washington
Steven J. Beresh, Sandia National Laboratories
Charles F. Bolden Jr., The Charles F. Bolden Group
Helmut Ciezki, DLR – German Aerospace Center
Capt. Meredith B. Colket III, Combustion Consulting Services, LLC, United Technologies Research Center (retired)
Daniel DeLaurentis, Purdue University
Christopher D’Souza, NASA Johnson Space Center
Ismet Gursul, University of Bath
Kauser S. Imtiaz, NASA
R. Steven Justice, The Ginn Group
Raymond M. Kolonay, Air Force Research Laboratory
Rodney Makoske, Lockheed Martin
Jill Marlowe, NASA
Pamela Melroy, NASA
David G. Mitchell, Mitchell Aerospace Research
Eugene Morelli, NASA Langley Research Center
Scott E. Palo, University of Colorado Boulder
Surendra Sharma, NASA Ames Research Center
Robert T.-I. Shin, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Rickey J. Shyne, NASA Glenn Research Center
Leena Singh, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Michael Sinnett, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Lawrence W. Stephens, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control
Mitchell L.R. Walker II, Georgia Institute of Technology
Brian L. Wardle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michael E. White, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
Michael Winter, Pratt & Whitney
Thomas H. Zurbuchen, NASA (retired)

*Please note that this event is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.

Contact: Rebecca B. 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  aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on TwitterFacebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

2024 AIAA DEFENSE Forum to Focus on Accelerating Technology Transition for Battlespace Dominance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 22, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has announced its three-day program for the 2024 AIAA DEFENSE Forum, 16–18 April at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland. This year’s program will explore the critical role of the science and technology community in providing innovative and operationally relevant capabilities to dominate the battlespace. This Secret/NOFORN event provides the ideal venue for leaders from government, military, industry, and academia to advance and accelerate innovation. Registration for the 2024 AIAA DEFENSE Forum is open to the national security community.

“We believe it’s more important than ever for the science and technology community to gather for the 2024 AIAA DEFENSE Forum for discussion and debate on the most pressing strategic, programmatic, and technical topics and national security policy issues. The intimate, classified discussions and interaction among sectors are crucial to developing and fielding solutions for the warfighter,” said AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher.

The speakers and panelists participating in the 2024 AIAA DEFENSE Forum are proven leaders and innovators within the industry. Confirmed speakers include:

  • Angela Ambrose, GM Defense
  • Samuel Bendett, CNA
  • Kimberly Caldwell, Spirit AeroSystems
  • Anthony Di Stasio, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
  • Jay Dryer, Strategic Capabilities Office
  • Col. Edward Ferguson, USAF, U.S. Space Command
  • Shawn Fetterolf, Intel Federal
  • Mark Glenn, Joint Hypersonic Transition Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology (OASD(S&T))
  • Maynard A. Holliday, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
  • Marcia Holmes, U.S. Department of Defense
  • George Ka’iliwai III, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
  • Aaron Kofford, DARPA
  • Khoi Nguyen, U.S. Cyber Command
  • Heidi C. Perry, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
  • Col. Ryan Simms, USAF, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs
  • Sonny Tahiliani, RTX Ventures
  • Robert Taylor, U.S. Strategic Command
  • Lt. Gen. L. Neil Thurgood, USA (Ret.), Anduril Industries

The forum technical sessions will provide an in-depth discussion of technical topics, including Strategic Missile Systems; Digital Engineering; Guidance, Navigation, Control and Estimation; High-Maneuverability and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies; and Autonomy, Collaborative Engagement, Machine Intelligence, and Robotic and Uncrewed Systems.

For the most up-to-date program and registration information, visit aiaa.org/defense.

Media contact: Rebecca B. 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 aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

AIAA Announces $10,000 Scholarship in Partnership with Blue Origin’s Club for the Future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 16, 2023 Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation announced today a partnership with Blue Origin’s nonprofit Club for the Future to provide a $10,000 scholarship each year to one high school senior who has demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career in aerospace engineering. The scholarship is known as “AIAA and Club for the Future’s Resilient Student Scholarship.”

Students can apply here. Applications are due by 31 January 2024.

Any high school senior enrolling in a STEM program at a college, university, or technical institution who matches other qualifying criteria will be eligible. In addition to the $10,000 award, the recipient will be matched with an AIAA professional member to serve as a mentor. The scholarship will be offered to high school seniors who are AIAA members; high school membership in AIAA is free. The scholarship is specifically designed to empower and inspire students who have faced unique challenges, including but not limited to: students with disabilities; from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender minorities, or disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances; and first-generation college students.

Students who apply for this scholarship will be asked to describe why they are interested in aerospace and write about their vision for their future career in the aerospace field. They also must submit a short personal essay on their values of compassion, tenacity, and resilience, and how they have used one or all of these traits to problem-solve or accomplish something in their life.

This scholarship follows other support for aerospace young talent development provided to the AIAA Foundation by Blue Origin’s Club for the Future, including a $1 million grant in 2021 for educational programs.

“Club for the Future is proud to empower future innovators to explore the boundless opportunities of space through STEM careers for the benefit of Earth,” said Heather Nelson, director of Club for the Future.

Basil Hassan, chair, AIAA Foundation, recognizes that the scholarship partnership with Blue Origin’s Club for the Future offers an exciting pathway to develop new engineering talent for the aerospace industry. “Giving students a chance to focus their immediate future on aerospace has been one of the goals of the AIAA Foundation since its inception in 1996,” he said. “We have chosen National Scholarship Month to roll out this new program as a way of bringing extra attention to a life-defining opportunity for a graduating high school student. The recipient of this scholarship will be able to explore aerospace engineering in greater detail and develop their expertise in one of the fastest growing industries in the world.”

For more information, visit aiaa.org/foundation.

AIAA 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 aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on TwitterFacebook, or LinkedIn.

About Club for the Future
Founded by Blue Origin, Club for the Future is a foundation whose mission is to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM for the benefit of Earth. The Club and its collaborators are doing this through Postcards to Space, space-inspired lessons and events, and access to space on Blue Origin’s rockets. For more information visit, ClubforFuture.org.

Prominent Space Luminaries from DLR, ESA, NASA, and More Added to 2023 ASCEND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) today announced several prominent space luminaries who have been added to the three-day program at 2023 ASCEND, 23–25 October, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas. ASCEND is the world’s premier outcomes-focused, interdisciplinary space event designed to accelerate building our off-world future.

These newly confirmed speakers cut across the international, civil, commercial, and national security space sectors, including:

  • Peter Gräf, Director for Applications & Science, DLR
  • John M. Grunsfeld, Endless Frontier Associates, LLC; former NASA Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, and former NASA astronaut
  • The Honorable Steven J. Isakowitz, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Aerospace Corporation
  • Janet Kavandi, President and Chief Science Officer, Sierra Space
  • Col. Richard Kniseley, Senior Materiel Leader, Commercial Space Office Lead, U.S. Space Force
  • Sandra Magnus, Chief Engineer for the Traffic Coordination System for Space, Office of Space Commerce, Department of Commerce, and former NASA astronaut
  • Col. Pamela Melroy, USAF (Ret.), Deputy Administrator, NASA
  • Daniel Neuenschwander, Director for Human and Robotic Exploration, ESA
  • George T. Whitesides, Partner, Convective Capital, and former CEO, Virgin Galactic

Registration for the 2023 ASCEND event is open now. Journalists from around the world are invited to cover 2023 ASCEND; press passes are available for credentialed media by request.

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

About ASCEND
Powered by AIAA, ASCEND promotes the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future! For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn, and Instagram.

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 TwitterFacebookLinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2023 Premier Award Winners

Aerospace’s Best and Brightest to be Honored at AIAA Awards Gala

February 13, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2023 recipients of its most prestigious awards, the AIAA Premier Awards, recognizing the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace whose outstanding contributions merit the highest accolades. A new award – the AIAA Award for Aerospace Excellence – was added in 2023 in order to celebrate a unique program or mission in the aerospace community deserving timely recognition.

Presentation of the 2023 AIAA Premier Awards and recognition of the Institute’s Class of 2023 Honorary Fellows and Fellows will take place at the AIAA Awards Gala, Thursday, 18 May, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts*, Washington, DC. Tickets are available now.

“Congratulations to our premier award winners,” said AIAA President Laura McGill. “We are inspired by their hard work and achievements, and we thank them for their dedication to the aerospace industry. AIAA is committed to ensuring that aerospace professionals are recognized and celebrated for their innovations and discoveries that make the world safer, more connected, more accessible, and more prosperous.”

The winners are:

AIAA Award for Aerospace Excellence – Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Team, NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

AIAA Public Service Award – Bill Nye, The Planetary Society

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award – John S. Langford III, Electra.Aero

AIAA Distinguished Service Award – David R. Riley, Boeing Research & Technology (retired)

AIAA International Cooperation Award – Vincent A. Orlando, MIT Lincoln Laboratory

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award – Alison A. Nordt, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award – Charlie Atkinson, Jennifer Love-Pruitt, Michael T. Menzel, and Lee D. Feinberg, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Northrop Grumman Team – James Webb Space Telescope 

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award – Phillip J. Ansell, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Award Citations

AIAA Award for Aerospace Excellence
This award honors a unique achievement by a group or team in the aerospace community that is shaping the future of aerospace and inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in aerospace. The award is designed for timely recognition of a recent program or mission.

NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Team

    , honored “In recognition of humanity’s first time purposely changing the motion of a celestial object by a team of protectors of our home planet.” Accepting the award on behalf of the DART team: Jeremy John, JHUAPL, and Lindley Johnson, NASA.

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

Bill Nye,

    The Planetary Society, honored “For demonstrating sustained and visible support for aviation and space goals through popular media outreach.”

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 Aeronautical Sciences in 1932.

John S. Langford III,

    Electra.Aero, honored “For exemplary achievement as an outstanding aeronautical engineer, visionary leadership in the development of autonomous flight, and relentless advocacy of the future aerospace workforce.”

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

David R. Riley

    , Boeing Research & Technology (retired), honored “In recognition of over four decades of dedicated leadership and service to AIAA at the section, region, national, and international levels.”

AIAA International Cooperation Award
The award is presented to a member who has made a recent individual contribution in the application of scientific and mathematical principles leading to a significant accomplishment or event worthy of AIAA’s national or international recognition.

Vincent A. Orlando,

    MIT Lincoln Laboratory, honored “For over 40 years of sustained technical innovation, standards development, and international harmonization of aviation surveillance system technology.”

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.

Alison A. Nordt,

    Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, honored “For exceptional engineering and technical leadership in the development of the Near Infrared Camera critical to the success of the James Webb Space Telescope.”

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.

Charlie Atkinson, Jennifer Love-Pruitt, Michael T. Menzel, and Lee D. Feinberg,

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Northrop Grumman Team – James Webb Space Telescope, honored “For delivering groundbreaking engineering performance for the James Webb Space Telescope, to advance the study of every phase of cosmic history.”

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.

Phillip J. Ansell,

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, honored “For outstanding contributions to electrified aircraft technologies and pioneering work toward sustainable aviation.”

*Please note that this event is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.

Contact: Rebecca B. 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  aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on TwitterFacebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces Winners of Prestigious Zarem Graduate Student Awards for Distinguished Achievement in Aeronautics and Astronautics

September 5, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the Zarem Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Achievement:

    • Stephen Monroe, Clarkson University, won the aeronautics award for his paper, “Parallel Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) Studies of the Performance of ONR Waterjet AxWJ-2.” Monroe will present his paper at the 2024 International Congress of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS) in Florence, Italy, 9-13 September 2024.

 

  • Quentin Roberts, University of Washington, won the astronautics award for his paper, “Investigation of Pre-Ignition Propellant Mixing in Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine.” Roberts will present his paper at the 2023 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Baku, Azerbaijan, 2-6 October 2023.

The winners will receive their awards at the 2024 AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando, Florida, 8–12 January 2024. This award was established by AIAA Honorary Fellow Abe Zarem, founder and managing director of Frontier Associates, to annually recognize graduate students in aeronautics and astronautics who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship in their field.

    • Stephen Monroe, Clarkson University, Aeronautics Award
      Stephen-Moore-2023Stephen Monroe just completed his first year as an M.S. student in Mechanical Engineering at Clarkson University. He received his B.S. from Clarkson University in 2022. In his senior year, Monroe began learning CFD algorithms and HPC in the research group of Professor Chunlei Liang. During the first year of graduate study, Monroe conducted URANS studies of an ONR waterjet propulsion unit on parallel computers. He also is performing large eddy simulations of the same propulsion system to examine finer flow structures. Monroe is determined to become a skillful computational fluid dynamicist in large eddy simulations using an open-source code before completing his M.S. program. While uncertain about his future in academia, Monroe intends on using the skills he has developed to become a proficient propulsion system designer.“Coming into the Graduate School, I only intended on achieving an M.S. degree. Having been recognized for my hard work by the Abe Zarem award, not only has my passion for research been rejuvenated, but my consideration of furthering my education has as well,” said Monroe.Cr-Chuniei-Liang-2023Monroe’s faculty advisor, Chunlei Liang, is Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Clarkson University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of London in 2005. Liang is an ASME Fellow and an AIAA Associate Fellow.
    • Quentin Roberts, University of Washington, Astronautics Award
      Quentin-Roberts-2023Quentin Roberts is an M.S. student at the University of Washington studying aeronautics and astronautics with a concentration in fluids. His research is on injector mixing in rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs). Roberts will start work in fall 2023 as a propulsion analyst at Blue Origin.                       “Receiving this award will allow me to greatly expand my horizons in the world of astronautics by not only providing an opportunity to learn about what research the international community is working on, but also an opportunity to present my own research to an international audience,” said Roberts.
    • Dr-Carl-KnowlenRoberts’ faculty advisor, Carl Knowlen, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Washington in 1983 and 1985, respectively. He continued with his graduate research on ram accelerators at the UW and completed his Ph.D. program in 1991. Dr. Knowlen then accepted a Postdoctoral Research Associate position with the UW Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and has been teaching AA Department courses on a regular basis since 2002.

For more information on the Abe M. Zarem Graduate Awards for Distinguished Achievement, please contact Michael Lagana.

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 aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2025 Premier Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 16, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of the AIAA Premier Awards, recognizing the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace whose outstanding contributions merit the highest accolades.

AIAA will present the awards during the AIAA Awards Gala on Wednesday, 30 April, at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC. The Institute also will recognize its Class of 2025 Honorary Fellows and Fellows at the AIAA Awards Gala. Tickets will be available to purchase in the coming weeks.

“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. Supporting them throughout their career arc is at the heart of what we do at AIAA,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “The highest honors in aeronautics and astronautics – the AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award and AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award – are being given this year to brilliant individuals who in addition to advancing our understanding of flight in air and space, are lighting the way for the next generation. 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
Jeffrey P. Bezos, Founder, Blue Origin

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award
Vigor Yang, Ralph N. Read Chair and Regents Professor, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

AIAA Distinguished Service Award
Basil Hassan, Director, Engineering Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award
Christopher John Ruscher, Vice President and Senior Research Engineer, Spectral Energies, LLC

AIAA International Cooperation Award
Hitoshi Kuninaka, Director General, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and Vice President, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award
Gökçin Çınar, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan

AIAA Public Service Award
Bhavya Lal, former NASA Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy, NASA (retired)

Daniel Guggenheim Medal
Stephen W. Tsai, Research Professor, Emeritus, 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.

Jeffrey P. Bezos, Founder, Blue Origin, honored “For visionary leadership in moving us toward a future where millions of people are living and working in space for the benefit of humanity.”


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.

Vigor Yang, Ralph N. Read Chair and Regents Professor, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, honored “For seminal contributions to the understanding of combustion physics in aerospace systems, to technological innovation in aerospace propulsion, and to the advancement of aerospace engineering education and literature.”


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

Basil Hassan, Director, Engineering Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories honored “For more than three decades of exemplary service at the national, technical, and regional levels, as well as with Publications, Honors and Awards, and the AIAA Foundation.”


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.

Christopher John Ruscher, Vice President and Senior Research Engineer, Spectral Energies, LLC, honored “For the design, development, integration, and demonstration of a robust pressure sensor on a hypersonic sounding rocket and F404 engine test.”


AIAA International Cooperation Award
The award is presented to a member who has made a recent individual contribution in the application of scientific and mathematical principles leading to a significant accomplishment or event worthy of AIAA’s national or international recognition.

Hitoshi Kuninaka, Director General, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and Vice President, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), honored “For fundamental contributions to electric propulsion and leadership of the world’s first asteroid sample return missions, as well as for fostering international cooperation and public interest in space exploration.”


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.

Gökçin Çınar, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, honored “For pioneering research and innovative contributions to electrified aircraft systems and sustainable aviation.”


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

Bhavya Lal, former NASA Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy, NASA Headquarters (retired), honored “For lasting and sustained leadership in national space policy and setting the course for NASA’s future missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.”


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.

Stephen W. Tsai, Research Professor, Emeritus, Stanford University, honored “Forfoundational contributions to the mechanics of composites over a distinguished 60-year career, resulting in laminate theory and failure criteria that are the basis of modern aerospace composite structures.”


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 aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on X/TwitterFacebookLinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2025 Election Results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 1, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has released the results of its recent elections. The newly elected AIAA officials will take office in May.

“We are proud to announce the newest AIAA leaders who will play key roles in serving our members and advancing the Institute,” said AIAA President Daniel Hastings. “I am grateful to each of the candidates for their willingness to lead important activities that benefit our profession. Their service is essential to the smooth functioning of the Institute. Congratulations to our new leaders.”

Read about all members of the Board of Trustees here. Read about all members of the Council of Directors here.

2025 ELECTION RESULTS FOR BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dana “Keoki” Jackson, The MITRE Corporation, was chosen as AIAA President-Elect for 2025-2026. He will serve as AIAA President 2026-2028.

In January, the Board of Trustees elected three Members-At-Large:

  • Michael Gazarik, University of Colorado Boulder
  • Tina Ghataore, Aerospacelab
  • Jill Marlowe, Retired

Ben Linder, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, also was elected to fulfill an unexpired term.

2025 ELECTION RESULTS FOR COUNCIL OF DIRECTORS

Integration and Outreach Activities Division (IOD)

  • Chief: Jeanette Domber, BAE Systems
  • Director–Aerospace Outreach Group: Sofia Russi, Denmar Technical Services
  • Director–Integration Group: Abdollah Khodadoust, The Boeing Company
  • Director-Elect–Young Professionals Group: Nathan Crane, Advanced Development Programs, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

Regional Engagement Activities Division (READ)

  • Director–Region IV: Ellen Gillespie, Jacobs Engineering
  • Director–Region V: James Guglielmo, Boeing Defense, Space & Security

Technical Activities Division (TAD)

  • Director–Information Systems: Michel Ingham, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  • Director–Propulsion & Energy: Rusty Powell, Axient

Media contact: Rebecca B. 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 aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn, or Instagram.

AIAA Announces New $10,000 Mary W. Jackson Scholarship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 2, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation has launched a $10,000 undergraduate scholarship honoring the late NASA mathematician and aerospace engineer, Mary W. Jackson. The scholarship was created to provide even greater access to opportunity for the best students studying in the aerospace sciences and will be available to students studying at institutions in the United States or its territories.

“Honoring pioneering NASA scientist and aerospace engineer, Mary W. Jackson, through a scholarship is not just a tribute to her pioneering spirit, but a commitment to empowering the next generation of aerospace engineers. By investing in today’s students, AIAA is ensuring that her legacy inspires innovation and excellence in aerospace for years to come,” said Laura McGill, AIAA Foundation Chair.

Applications open 1 October 2024 and close 31 January 2025. The scholarship will be awarded in summer 2025. Students from underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

For more information on AIAA’s Undergraduate Scholarships and Graduate Awards Program, visit aiaa.org/foundation.

AIAA 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 aiaa.org or follow AIAA on X/TwitterFacebookLinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2025 International Student Conference Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 22, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2025 International Student Conference winners in partnership with the AIAA Foundation. During the 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum, 20 technical paper first-place finalists from all seven 2024 AIAA Regional Student Conferences and the PEGASUS – Europe Conference presented their research papers related to aeronautics and astronautics.

“Congratulations to these exceptional students – our future leaders in aerospace. These bright minds are today’s up-and-coming innovators. Their fresh perspectives and critical thinking are working to solve current technical challenges. They will help shape the aerospace landscape for decades to come,” said Laura McGill, chair, AIAA Foundation. “The AIAA Foundation takes great pride in nurturing their development through initiatives like the International Student Conference.”

This event is invitation-only, contained within the annual AIAA SciTech Forum, where first-place winners from each of the previous year’s AIAA Regional Student Conferences present their winning papers. They are judged by a panel of AIAA professional members in the undergraduate, master’s, and team categories. AIAA Foundation awards a $1,000 cash prize to each category’s first-place winner. All participants’ papers are published as part of the AIAA SciTech Forum proceedings and become part of the enduring aerospace industry technical archive found in AIAA’s Aerospace Research Central (ARC).

2025 Aiaa International Student Conference Winners Group
2025 AIAA International Student Conference participants.  Credit: AIAA–©

2025 International Student Conference Winners

Undergraduate Category:
1st Place: “Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Propeller Configuration, Motor Noise, and Sound Reflection on Sound Pressure Level” by Olivia Hilburn, United States Air Force Academy

Master’s Category
1st Place: “Performance Characteristics of a Low-Cost Self-Contained Pressure Data Acquisition System” by Nathan Eller, California State Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Team Category
1st Place: “Lessons Learned from the Launch of a Student-Built LOX/Jet-A Sounding Rocket” by Callum MacDonald, Rithvik Nagarajan, Ethan Heyns, Braden Anderson, Michael Krause, Varun Natarajan, Anthony Otlowski, and Tristan Terry, Georgia Institute of Technology

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804.397.5270 cell
Click images to see larger versions.

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 TwitterFacebookLinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Welcomes ISS National Laboratory to 2025 ASCEND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Additional Sessions Will Showcase the Growing Low Earth Orbit Ecosystem

June 23, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS), manager of the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, announced they are expanding programming for the upcoming ASCEND event this summer, 22–24 July, in Las Vegas.

This announcement comes following the discontinuation of the ISS National Laboratory’s flagship event, the ISS Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC), originally planned for 28–31 July, Seattle, Wash. ISSRDC was designed to address pressing research and development challenges through space-based inquiry. ASCEND will now serve the broader space and microgravity community in one powerful event.

ASCEND Welcomes ISS National Lab and its Community in July
2025 ASCEND will now offer several high-impact sessions from the planned ISSRDC program. The new content will highlight how the space station continues to provide a valuable platform for research and technology development that benefits humanity and enables a robust and sustainable market in low Earth orbit (LEO). More information on sessions will be announced shortly.

“We warmly welcome the broader ISS National Lab communities to ASCEND. It’s a natural evolution to the ASCEND program, further showcasing the cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs in low Earth orbit. It will be an unparalleled experience for the entire space community,” said Clay Mowry, chief executive officer, AIAA. “We invite those who were planning to attend ISSRDC to discover ASCEND in a bold new way.”

ASCEND | 22-24 July 2025 | Las Vegas
ASCEND | 22-24 July 2025 | Las Vegas

Registration for 2025 ASCEND is available with early-bird rates through 23 June. Journalists can request a Press Pass online.

“As we mark a pivotal moment for the space station and the LEO economy, we’re thrilled to expand ASCEND programming to showcase the ISS National Lab community,” said Ray Lugo, chief executive officer, ISS National Lab. “Over the years, ISSRDC has built deeply engaged user, investor, and partner communities, and ASCEND will allow our communities to significantly build upon the scientific discoveries, commercial innovations, and relationships in a more expansive forum, as we showcase the impact of space-based research and its impacts on humanity and commerce alike.”

Since 2020, ASCEND has promoted the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future. Lockheed Martin is the premier sponsor of ASCEND. For the most updated program information, visit ascend.events and follow ASCEND on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X/Twitter.

AIAA Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270
ISS National Lab Contact: Patrick O’Neill, [email protected], 904-806-0035

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. Visit www.aiaa.org or follow us: X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

Korean Air Announces Largest-ever Boeing Jet Order

Reuters reports, “Korean Air announced a $50 billion order on Monday for 103 Boeing airplanes and GE Aerospace engines and servicing coinciding with the visit of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to Washington. The order, the largest in the Korean air carrier’s history, includes a mix of 787s, 777s and 737 Boeing airplanes worth about $36.5 billion.”
Full Story (Reuters)

Space Command Headquarters to Move from Colorado to Alabama

CBS News reports, “President Trump announced Tuesday afternoon that U.S. Space Command headquarters is moving from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama. In 2018 he had signed an order reestablishing U.S. Space Command, after it had been absorbed in 2002 into U.S. Strategic Command. Its main goal is to find ways to defend U.S. interests in space.”
Full Story (CBS News)

Space Force Announces ATLAS Space Domain Awareness Software Now Operational

Breaking Defense reports, “The Space Force announced today that its software-centric program for managing, processing and disseminating space monitoring data, the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS), has been accepted as ‘operational.’ The move paves the way for the service to finally rid itself of its dysfunctional 1980s-era computer system called the Space Defense Operations Center (SPADOC), which as been used to keep tabs on satellites, spacecraft and dangerous space junk even after nearly two decades of failed replacement efforts.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)