Tag: Press Release

AIAA Announces Recipients of 2026 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2026 – Reston, Va. – AIAA is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship. The four $10,000 awards go to the following high school seniors:

Aya Elamrani-Zerifi
From: Maryland
Attending in the Fall: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Vishal Manikanden
From: Virginia
Attending in the Fall: Princeton University

Aoqi Xu
From: Georgia
Attending in the Fall: Georgia Tech

Madison Nation
From: Colorado
Attending in the Fall: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida

Read their full profiles on the AIAA website.

The Roger W. Kahn Scholarship was created to honor the memory of Roger W. Kahn (1907–1962) and his passion for aviation and entertainment. Kahn spent the latter part of his career at Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation as a test pilot and then managed the technical service and sales division. In the 1940s, he was actively involved with the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences (one of the predecessor organizations of AIAA) and later served as its vice president.

Kahn also was an accomplished jazz musician as early as the 1920s, composing songs often featured in stage productions and early films, as well as leading numerous orchestras. He became a recording artist for some of the first record labels including Victor, Brunswick, and Columbia.

Kahn left a legacy gift to AIAA – a song called “Crazy Rhythm” – that he wrote in 1928. AIAA used the proceeds of his trust to establish the scholarship in 2020. Since then, 16 students have received the scholarship to pursue university degrees in engineering.

“AIAA is thrilled to honor the memory of aviation pioneer Roger W. Kahn with such a powerful investment in the future of aerospace. The scholarship that bears his name will support four more bright minds driving the next technology breakthroughs. His enthusiasm for aviation nearly 100 years ago will remain relevant in the next 100 years of innovation,” commented AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.

Laura McGill, chair of the AIAA Foundation, added, “The AIAA Foundation is pleased to use part of Roger W. Kahn’s gift to identify, mentor, and promote promising young aerospace talent on their first steps from classroom to career. We can’t wait to see them shape the future of aerospace.”

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

About AIAA
AIAA is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With more than 33,000 individual members from 91 countries, and over 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 on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026 to Showcase Next Generation Flight Technologies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 23, 2026 – Reston, Va. – AIAA announced its program for AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026, 8-12 June, Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego, Calif. This year’s theme, “From Velocity to Altitude – Accelerating Toward Tomorrow,” captures the acceleration of aviation technology.

“Next generation technologies are reshaping both the pace and direction of aerospace innovation,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “This event is mission essential for aviation professionals from industry, government, and academia – ensuring next generation air transportation systems are safe, efficient, and ready for what’s next.”

Educational, Interactive, Mission-Critical Program Planned

From the main stage, attendees will learn about the technologies redefining flight – AI in the cockpit, electric aircraft, hydrogen propulsion, and beyond. The speakers and panelists represent the leading aviation agencies, companies, and universities from around the world. One feature of the week is a live update from NASA Aeronautics on its vision and outlook for the years ahead.

Confirmed speakers include (in alphabetical order):

  • Darcy Allison, Advanced Development Engineering Workflow Lead, Anduril Industries
  • Phil Ansell, Associate Professor and Allen Ormsbee Faculty Scholar, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  • Bimal Aponso, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Dynamic Systems, Federal Aviation Administration
  • Lori Arnett, Associate Director for Digital Transformation, Aerosciences and Evaluation Test Capabilities, NASA
  • Luc Van Bavel, CTO/Co-Founder, Evio
  • Andreas “Andy” Bernhard, Director, Structures, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
  • Kevin Bowcutt, Senior Technical Fellow and Chief Scientist of Hypersonics, The Boeing Company
  • Gaudy Bezos-O’Connor, Project Manager, Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration, Integrated Aviation Systems Program, NASA
  • John Cavolowsky, Director, Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA
  • Carlos Cesnik, Richard A. Auhll Department Chair and Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan
  • Joshua Deaton, Deputy Chief Scientist, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory
  • Marc Fischer, Senior Vice President Engineering – HO Cabin and Cargo Centre of Competence, Airbus
  • Robert D. Gregg III, Chief Aerodynamicist, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
  • Roberto I. Guerrero, USAF Operational Energy (Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, Safety and Occupational Health (SOH), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment)
  • Tom Gunnarson, Lead of Regulatory Affairs, Wisk
  • Kelley Hashemi, Associate Director, Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program, NASA
  • Scott Kaslusky, Vice President, Aerospace Technology, RTX
  • David King, Chief Engineer, Vertical Aerospace
  • Travis Klopfenstein, Innovation Program Manager, Collins Aerospace
  • Parimal “PK” Kopardekar, Airspace Operations and Safety Program Acting Director, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA
  • Ed Lovelace, CTO and VP Engineering, Ampaire
  • Nateri Madavan, Advanced Air Vehicles Program Director, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA
  • Dmitri Mavris, Distinguished Regent’s Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Kate McMurtry, Integrated Aviation Systems Program Acting Director, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA
  • Bjorn Nagel, Director, Institute of System Architectures in Aeronautics, DLR
  • Ryan Naru, Aviation Policy and Regulatory Affairs Lead, Joby Aviation
  • Tim Niznik, Director of Analytics, American Airlines
  • Bob Pearce, Associate Administrator, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA
  • Prajwal Prakasha, Group Lead-Aviation System Design and Assessment, DLR
  • Amy Pritchett, Professor and Head of Aerospace Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
  • Jeremy Roehm, Chief of Technology and Partnerships – US, Rolls-Royce
  • OJ Sanchez, Vice President and General Manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®
  • Venke Sankaran, Chief Scientist of Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory
  • Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO, Boom Supersonic
  • Cleiton Diniz Pereira da Silva e Silva, Vice President of Technology and Advanced Projects, Embraer
  • Adam Shepherd, Northrop Grumman Fellow–Digital Engineering, Northrop Grumman
  • Jess Sponable, President and Chief Technology Officer, New Frontier Aerospace, Inc.
  • JP Stewart, Senior Vice President of Product Development, Electra.aero
  • Brandon Suarez, Vice President of UAS Integration, Reliable Robotics
  • John Vassberg, Chief Design Officer, JetZero
  • Graham Warwick, Executive Editor, Technology, Aviation Week
  • Paige Stanton Wilson, Chief Development Officer, Acubed

AIAA forums are well known for the depth of technical content presented. The technical program features over 1,000 presentations spanning more than 20 research topics, covering fluid dynamics, applied aerodynamics, air transportation systems, thermophysics, multidisciplinary design optimization, and more.

A slate of hands-on technical courses workshops are scheduled, with expert instructors speaking on the timeliest aviation topics:

Attendees can participate in the Electric Propulsion and Advanced Technology Symposium (EPATS) Conference during the week. The EPATS keynote addresses, panel discussions, and technical sessions will focus on the continued technological development, design, evaluation, characterization, modeling, and integration of electrified aircraft components and systems.

Registration for the forum is open, with early-bird rates ending 11 May. Journalists can request a Press Pass online.

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.

Challenger Center and AIAA Open Nominations for 2026 Trailblazing STEM Educator Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Three winners will be honored for enthusiasm and dedication to STEM education

Washington and Reston, Va. (October 20, 2025) –  Challenger Center and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced they are accepting nominations for the 2026 Trailblazing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Educator Award. The annual award celebrates K-12 teachers going above and beyond to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators. Nominations can be submitted online through December 15, 2025.

Three winners will be selected from the nominations and announced in early 2026. Each winner and their respective school or organization will be awarded $5,000. They will also receive free access to Challenger Center’s STEM education programs and have the opportunity to attend a space launch experience and/or a VIP tour of an aerospace facility.

“Educators play a vital role in sparking curiosity and helping students see themselves as future scientists, engineers, and explorers,” said Mike Kincaid, President and Executive Director, Challenger Center. “We are proud to again partner with AIAA to recognize the teachers who tend to that spark every day.”

“We share a commitment with Challenger Center to support educators who inspire and empower today’s students. They are developing the next generation STEM workforce that will make the next breakthroughs in aerospace,” said Clay Mowry, CEO, AIAA. “Their impact reaches far beyond the classroom – it reaches the stars.”

The award recognizes teachers who connect classroom lessons to the country’s current and future plans of STEM exploration and innovation, introduce students to STEM careers, and activate students’ imagination about space exploration. Past awardees have represented schools from across the United States and have gone on to achieve remarkable milestones—including participating in a Zero-G flight, being selected to serve on the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group, and even traveling to space as a commercial astronaut.

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

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

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

AIAA Announces 2025 Undergraduate Scholarship and Graduate Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 14, 2025 – Reston, Va. – AIAA has announced the winners of its 2025 undergraduate scholarships and graduate awards. Through the AIAA Foundation and supported by its nearly 30,000 members, AIAA annually presents over $235,000 in academic scholarships and STEM educational grants to support the next generation of aerospace professionals.

“Congratulations to these remarkable students on earning scholarships and awards to further their education. We are proud to call them AIAA student members,” said Laura McGill, chair, AIAA Foundation. “Preparing the next generation of innovators is part of AIAA’s commitment to the aerospace community. We look forward to seeing how these students make the next breakthroughs to shape the future of aerospace.”

Applications for the 2026 scholarships and graduate awards are being accepted from 15 October 2025 to 31 January 2026. Visit the AIAA Foundation’s Undergraduate Scholarships and Graduate Awards website for more information.

The 2025 undergraduate scholarship winners are:

  • 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 Paige Rust, Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
  • The $10,000 Daedalus 88 Scholarship, endowed by former AIAA President John Langford, founder and chairman of Electra.aero, was presented to Abigail Frank, Purdue University.
  • The $10,000 Mary W. Jackson Scholarship, honoring the late NASA mathematician and aerospace engineer, Mary W. Jackson, was presented to Joshua Kassel, University of Colorado Boulder.
  • 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, president of advanced systems for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, and his wife Vicki, was presented to Ishaan Kalanadha Bhatta, Purdue University.

Additional AIAA Foundation scholarships were presented by AIAA technical committees (TC) to students performing research in the TC discipline:

  • The Space Transportation TC presented a $1,500 scholarship to Avah Cherry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

The Digital Avionics TC presented four scholarships of $3,000 each:

  • The Cary Spitzer Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Geenadie Rathnayake, University of Washington.
  • The Ellis F. Hitt Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Karsten Caillet, Georgia Institute of Technology.
  • The Dr. Amy R. Pritchett Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Karson Schaefers, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
  • The Dr. James Rankin Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Julianna Schneider, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The AIAA Rocky Mountain Section, comprising AIAA members located in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Alberta, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut presented a $500 scholarship to Titus Smith, Colorado School of Mines. The scholarship is presented to a student studying at a school that sits within the section’s geographical boundaries.

The 2025 graduate award winners are:

  • Patrick Bailey, University of South Carolina, received the Neil Armstrong Graduate Award. This $10,000 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.
  • Veera Venkata Ram Murali Krishna Rao Muvva, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, received the Orville and Wilbur Wright Graduate Award. This $10,000 award is given to a full-time graduate student in memory of the Wright brothers’ contributions to the evolution of flight.
  • Stephen West and Andrew Strawn, 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 $8,000 awards are presented each year.
  • Marwa Yacouti, University of Colorado Boulder, received the $1,250 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.

Five AIAA TCs also presented graduate awards:

  • Akshaj “Akku” Kumar, Texas A&M University, received the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) TC’s $3,500 Guidance, Navigation and Control Graduate Award.
  • Cole Nielsen, Purdue University, received the Liquid Propulsion TC’s $2,500 Liquid Propulsion Graduate Award.
  • Ari Jain, Georgia Institute of Technology, received the Propellants and Combustion TC’s $1,500 Martin Summerfield Propellants and Combustion Graduate Award.
  • Kaurab Gautam, University of Cincinnati, received the Propulsion and Energy Group’s $1,000 Gordon C. Oates Air Breathing Propulsion Graduate Award.
  • Aayush Bhattarai, Auburn University, received the General Aviation TC’s $1,000 William T. Piper, Sr., General Aviation Systems Graduate Award.

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 LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.