Tag: From the Institute

Meet Jenna Eppink, 2026 AIAA Engineer of the Year

FROM THE INSTITUTE
Jenna Eppink was recognized as the 2026 Engineer of the Year at AIAA SciTech Forum in January in Orlando. She received the award for her significant contributions to flow measurement and near-body flow physics. As part of NASA Langley’s Flow Physics and Control Branch, Eppink’s technical innovation is expanding NASA’s research capabilities and setting new standards in experimental aerodynamics.

Hands-On Aerospace: Technical Committees Bring STEM to Middle School Classrooms

FROM THE INSTITUTE
During AIAA SciTech Forum, three AIAA technical committees, the Structural Dynamics TC, Structures TC, and Aerodynamics Measurement Technologies TC, along with representatives from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future partnered with Southwest Middle School in Orlando, for an off-site STEM outreach event.

AIAA Strengthens International Engagement

FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA convened an international gathering on Monday at the Palace Asinaridi San Marzano, the headquarters of Italian satellite manufacturer Space Industries, to launch AIAA’s new representation for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. AIAA’s efforts in the EMEA region will be led by Davide Petrillo and Martina Bruno based in Turin.

Faculty Advisor Spotlight: Mohammad Ayoubi, Santa Clara University

From the Institute
Mohammad Ayoubi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University (SCU) and is the faculty advisor for the AIAA SCU Student Branch. Ayoubi was one of six faculty advisors that won the 2025 Faculty Advisor Award, recognizing his outstanding and dedicated efforts toward the student branch.

Shield AI Co-Founder Shares 10-Year Journey Reimagining Air Power

FROM THE INSTITUTE
When brothers Ryan and Brandon Tseng co-founded Shield AI a decade ago with Andrew Reiter, they did so with a fire in their belly and a clear mission: to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems, buoyed by the belief that “air power is the only way to deter war.”

The Universe’s First Selfie: The Remarkable Story of the James Webb Space Telescope

FROM THE INSTITUTE
The James Webb Space Telescope was designed over the course of 20 years to accomplish one thing: take the universe’s baby pictures. It has done that and more. Jonathan Arenberg, Fellow and Chief Mission Architect for Science and Robotic Exploration at Northrop Grumman, took the audience at AIAA SciTech Forum on a tour of the origins, specifications, and accomplishments of the 7-ton, 6.6-meter-wide eye.

GOTCHA! Students Capture Malfunctioning Satellite in Spacecraft Control Exercise

FROM THE INSTITUTE
A team of students from the XDLab Group at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has won the third annual Capture the Satellite competition, a game that teaches how to control a spacecraft to avoid obstacles and safely rendezvous with another spacecraft that needs service, on 15 January at AIAA SciTech Forum 2026.

Preserving NASA’s Scientific Mission: Budget Stability, Safety, and the National Interest

FROM THE INSTITUTE
NASA’s scientific enterprise has long served as a cornerstone of American leadership in discovery, innovation, and aerospace safety. Its science portfolio faces growing structural pressures driven not by technical shortcomings, but by budgetary instability, funding misalignment, and an increasingly compressed execution environment. These pressures pose tangible risks not only to mission outcomes, but also to the highly specialized workforce, civil servants, FFRDCs, and industry partners that are required to execute NASA science safely and effectively.