Tag: Announces

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)

AIAA Announces 2024-2025 Section Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

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

VERY SMALL

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

SMALL

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

MEDIUM

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

LARGE

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

VERY LARGE

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

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

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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

SMALL

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

MEDIUM

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

LARGE

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

VERY LARGE

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

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

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

SMALL

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

MEDIUM

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

LARGE

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

VERY LARGE

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

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

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

SMALL

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

MEDIUM

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

LARGE

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

VERY LARGE

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

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

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

SMALL

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

MEDIUM

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

LARGE

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

VERY LARGE

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

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

VERY SMALL

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

SMALL

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

MEDIUM

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

LARGE

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

VERY LARGE

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

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

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

SMALL

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

MEDIUM

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

LARGE

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

VERY LARGE

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

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

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

SMALL:

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

MEDIUM:

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

LARGE:

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

VERY LARGE:

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

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

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

AIAA 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.

Future of Flight Takes Center Stage at 2025 AIAA AVIATION Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 3, 2025 – Reston, Va. – AIAA announced its program for the 2025 AIAA AVIATION Forum, 21–25 July, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas. The five-day event will focus on the theme, “Navigating the Future: Sustainability, Safety, and Innovation.”

“We’re thrilled to bring together the aviation industry during this time of unprecedented transformation,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “As the industry grows and evolves, it’s crucial to ensure the next generation of air transportation systems are safe and efficient. This event is mission essential for aviation professionals in industry, government, and academia—it’s where the future of aviation takes shape.”

Educational, Interactive, Mission-Critical Program Planned
From the main stage, attendees will learn about the innovative technologies and services that  are driving efficient growth in civil and military aviation. The lineup of speakers and panelists represent the leading aviation agencies, companies, and universities from around the world. They will showcase groundbreaking capabilities that are redefining what’s possible in flight – from sustainable aviation fuels and electric propulsion to advanced air mobility and hypersonics.

AIAA forums are well known for the depth of technical content presented. The technical program will feature over 1,200 presentations spanning more than 20 research topics, including fluid dynamics, applied aerodynamics, air transportation systems, thermophysics, and multidisciplinary design optimization. More than a dozen technical workshops are scheduled, providing attendees with valuable in-depth learning opportunities. Attendees also can participate in the AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference during the week. In addition, the FlightLab sessions include important content from the aviation community submitted on a range of timely and important topics.

Confirmed speakers from industry, government, and academia across the aviation community include:

  • Michael Berube – Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation & Fuels, U.S. Department of Energy
  • Yemaya Bordain – President of the Americas, Daedalean AI
  • Sergio Cecutta – Founder and Partner, SMG Consulting
  • Jan de Regt – Director, Advanced Aviation Systems, Flight Safety Foundation
  • Lt. Col. David Dunwoody – Deputy Director Data & Analytics Enablement, National Defence of Canada
  • Michael Dyment – Managing Partner, NEXA Capital Partners
  • Roberto Guerrero – Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy
  • Rafferty Jackson – Principal, Jack Industries
  • Greg Feith, former Senior Air Safety Investigator, National Transportation Safety Board
  • Natasha Neogi – Senior Technologist for Assured Intelligent Flight Systems, NASA
  • Linda O’Brien – Vice President and Chief Engineer, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
  • Alain Siebert – Chief Technology and Strategy, SESAR
  • Walter A. Silva – Senior Research Scientist, NASA Langley Research Center
  • Michael Sinnett – Senior Vice President, Product Strategy, Product Development and Development Programs, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
  • Akbar Sultan, Director, Airspace Operations and Safety Program, NASA
  • Lt. Col. Taylor Wilson – Commander, 40th Test Flight Squadron, U.S. Air Force

Registration for the forum is open, with early-bird rates ending 23 June. Journalists can request a Press Pass online. For the most updated program information, visit www.aiaa.org/aviation.

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 www.aiaa.org or follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, 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 Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

AIAA Expands International Reach with New Section, Student Branches

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 5, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce it has chartered a new section in the United Kingdom (UK) and new student branches in seven countries. The AIAA Council of Directors approved the moves at its meeting during the 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum in Orlando, Florida.

The UK Section is located in AIAA Region VII and includes AIAA members living in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The addition of the UK Section brings the global total of AIAA sections to 58, in seven regions. Sections are led by AIAA members who volunteer to organize and offer technical programs, networking, educational opportunities, and other activities tailored to local aerospace professionals, students, and educators.

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

  • Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia
  • King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
  • M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, India
  • Military Institute of Science and Technology, Bangladesh
  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, United States
  • TED University, Turkey
  • University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg

“We are thrilled to welcome the UK Section and new student branches to AIAA. We are building bridges across the globe to strengthen our connections everywhere, growing international contributions to the AIAA community. We look forward to seeing how they shape the future of aerospace,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.

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/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, 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
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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.

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/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.