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Tag: Marilyn J. Smith

Marilyn J. Smith Awarded 2026 AIAA-NAE Yvonne C. Brill Lectureship in Aerospace Engineering

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Rotorcraft – The New Frontier in Extraplanetary Exploration” set for 5 October

July 7, 2026, Reston, Va. — The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) are pleased to announce that Marilyn J. Smith, David S. Lewis Professor of Aerospace Engineering in the School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, and Director of the Georgia Tech Army/Navy/NASA Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Yvonne C. Brill Lectureship in Aerospace Engineering.

Smith will present her lecture, “Rotorcraft – The New Frontier in Extraplanetary Exploration,” on Monday, 5 Oct., starting at 1 p.m. ET with the lecture, followed by a reception. This lecture will be held in conjunction with the NAE Annual Meeting at 500 Fifth St. NW, Washington, D.C. Registration for this lecture and reception are free and open to the public.

Rotorcraft are highly versatile flight vehicles for a variety of missions where the ability to hover, move omnidirectionally, and land on unprepared surfaces are a must. Innovators have postulated for several decades that rotorcraft are the optimal vehicles for cost-effective and optimal extraplanetary exploration. Rotorcraft can cover larger swaths of unexplored territory to explore various geographical features than ground vehicles, as well as identify atmospheric traits at different altitudes and locations. The Mars Ingenuity vehicle indisputably proved rotorcraft’s ability to go above and beyond in these science missions.

This lecture will explore both the advantages and limitations of rotorcraft for extraplanetary missions, including rotorcraft design for extreme environments, opportunities to leverage current autonomous uncrewed aerial systems development, and mitigation of unknown planetary characteristics that could negatively impact mission requirements. The lecture will also identify research areas where innovations can lower risk in these long-term missions.

Smith’s research encompasses computational unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelasticity for complex configurations, including rotorcraft. Smith is an AIAA Fellow, as well as Honorary Fellow of the Vertical Flight Society and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. She is a Vertical Flight Society Technical Director Emeritus, and member emeritus of the Board of Directors for the Vertical Flight Society and the Vertical Lift Consortium. In 2022, Smith presented the Vertical Flight Society Nikolsky Award Lecture honoring a lifetime achievement of research and development in Vertical Flight. She is also the recipient of the 2022 AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Award, and the 61st Royal Aeronautical Society Lanchester Memorial Lecture (2023).

AIAA, with the participation and support of the NAE, created the Yvonne C. Brill Lectureship in Aerospace Engineering to honor the memory of the late pioneering rocket scientist, AIAA Honorary Fellow, and NAE member Yvonne C. Brill. Brill was best known for developing a revolutionary propulsion system that remains the industry standard for geostationary satellite station-keeping. The lectureship emphasizes research or engineering issues for space travel and exploration, aerospace education of students and the public, and other aerospace issues such as ensuring a diverse and robust engineering community.

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

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

NAE Media Contact: Sabrina Steinberg, [email protected], 202.334.2622

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.

About NAE
Founded in 1964, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is a private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. The mission of the NAE is to advance the welfare and prosperity of the nation by providing independent advice on matters involving engineering and technology, and by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and public appreciation of engineering. Follow NAE on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

AIAA to Present Technical Excellence Awards at the 2022 AIAA AVIATION Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 3, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of technical excellence awards to be presented during the 2022 AIAA AVIATION Forum, 27 June–1 July, in Chicago.

“We are proud to recognize these accomplished individuals for their influence on the aerospace profession,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “These visionaries and technological leaders are truly inspirational. We are grateful for their efforts working toward a safer, more connected, more accessible, and more prosperous world.”

Registration for the 2022 AIAA AVIATION Forum is open now for the worldwide aviation community to attend in person or online. Early bird registration extends until 6 June. A limited number of sponsorships and exhibit packages are still available for interested companies and organizations to reach thousands of industry influencers from across the globe. Journalists who wish to cover the forum can request a Press Pass here.

2021 Elmer A. Sperry Award

Michimasa Fujino, HondaJet

Award Citation: : In recognition of his singular achievement of research and development of new technologies for business aviation including the Over-the-Wing Engine Mount and Natural Laminar Flow airfoil, and the introduction to the market of commercial aircraft based on these technologies through the formation of HondaJet.

This award is given annually in recognition of a distinguished engineering contribution which, through application, proved in actual service, has advanced the art of transportation whether by land, sea, air, or space.
2022 AIAA Aerodynamics Award

Marilyn J. Smith, Georgia Institute of Technology

Award Citation: For contributions to the computational and theoretical aerodynamic analysis of static and dynamic systems with separated flows, particularly for vertical takeoff and landing rotorcraft vehicles.

This award is presented for meritorious achievement in the field of applied aerodynamics, recognizing notable contributions in the development, application, and evaluation of aerodynamic concepts and methods
2022 AIAA Aircraft Design Award

Steve Ericson, Overair

Award Citation: For a lifetime of innovative aircraft designs and exceptional skills in configuration design, as well as mentoring young engineers in aircraft design.

This award is presented to an individual or team for an original concept or career contributions leading to a significant advancement in aircraft design or design technology.
2022 AIAA Chanute Flight Test Award

Rogers E. Smith, Consultant/SDI, Georgia Institute of Technology

Award Citation: For career-long achievements and contributions to the safe practices and teaching of flight testing, particularly in-flight controls and flying qualities, and significant collaboration with a diverse set of aerospace stakeholders

This award honors Octave Chanute, pioneer aeronautical investigator, and is presented for an outstanding contribution made by a pilot or test personnel to the advancement of the art, science, and technology of aeronautics.
2022 AIAA Fluid Dynamics Award

Mujeeb R. Malik, NASA Langley Research Center

Award Citation: : For numerous and significant contributions to the understanding and control of laminarturbulent boundary-layer transition, and for exceptional leadership, particularly in the area of certification-by-analysis.

This award is presented for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the behavior of liquids and gases in motion as related to need in aeronautics and astronautics.
2022 AIAA Ground Testing Award

James C. Ross, NASA Ames Research Center

Award Citation: : In recognition of decades of exemplary service and leadership in ground testing, advancing critical technologies including heavy vehicles, military aircraft, and NASA’s Multipurpose Crew Vehicle Program.

This award is presented for outstanding achievement in the development or effective utilization of technology, procedures, facilities, or modeling techniques for flight simulation, space simulation, propulsion testing, aerodynamic testing, or other ground testing associated with aeronautics and astronautics.
2022 AIAA Hap Arnold Award for Excellence in Aeronautical Program Management

Paul W. Niewald, The Boeing Company

Award Citation: : For championing the use of innovative tools such as digital engineering to transform aircraft development, saving time and cost while enhancing performance and safety.

This award honors General Henry “Hap” Arnold, a lifelong devotee to the concept of air power and Chief of the Army Corps in 1938, and is presented to an individual for outstanding contributions in the management of a significant aeronautical- or aeronautical-related program or project.
2022 AIAA James A. Van Allen Space Environments Award

Henry B. Garrett, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Award Citation: For a lifetime of contributions to the understanding of the interactions of spacecraft with the Earth’s magnetosphere and those of other planets.

This award recognizes outstanding contributions to space and planetary environment knowledge and interactions as applied to the advancement of aeronautics and astronautics. The award honors Prof. James A. Van Allen, an outstanding internationally recognized scientist, who is credited with the early discovery of the Earth’s “Van Allen Radiation Belts.”
2022 AIAA Losey Atmospheric Sciences Award

Fred H. Proctor, NASA (retired)

Award Citation: For leading fundamental research to characterize atmospheric-related aviation hazards and to develop advanced sensor algorithms for identifying and mitigating these hazards.

This award was established in memory of Captain Robert M. Losey, a meteorological officer who was killed while serving as an observer for the U.S. Army, the first officer in the service of the United States to die in World War II. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the atmospheric sciences as applied to the advancement of aeronautics and astronautics.
2022 AIAA Thermophysics Award

Karen A. Thole, Pennsylvania State University, START Lab

Award Citation: For pioneering research at the intersection of additive manufacturing and heat transfer in gas turbine engines that enables innovative combustor and turbine cooling designs.

This a ward is presented for an outstanding singular or sustained technical or scientific contribution by an individual in thermophysics, specifically as related to the study and application of the properties and mechanisms involved in thermal energy transfer and the study of environmental effects on such properties and mechanisms.
2022 AIAA Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award

Sergey O. Macheret, Purdue University

Award Citation: For pioneering work on novel plasma generation and control methods and on aerospace applications of plasmas.

This award is presented for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the physical properties and dynamical behavior of matter in the plasma state and lasers as related to need in aeronautics and astronautics.