Tag: Scholarship

AIAA and Club for the Future Award 2026 Resilient Student Scholarship to Aalisha Sugur

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 28, 2026, Reston, Va. — AIAA and Blue Origin’s non-profit, Club for the Future, are pleased to announce the recipient of their 2026 Resilient Student Scholarship is Aalisha Sugur. She is a recent high school graduate from Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. She will attend Purdue University for Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering in the Fall. 

 “Congratulations to Aalisha on receiving the 2026 Resilient Student Scholarship! She is an impressive student. Her belief that ‘aviation and space should not feel distant or unreachable to anyone’ is absolutely correct. We cannot wait to see what Aalisha goes on to do in the future,” said Daniel Hastings, chair of the AIAA Foundation. 

“This is the third year collaborating on this scholarship with Club for the Future. We are proud of this partnership and the impact it has on young people who are the up-and-coming leaders in our field. It is critical that our community uplift and support the next generation so they can continue breaking the barriers of air and space,” Hastings concluded.  

During her time in high school, alongside a rigorous AP STEM curriculum, Aalisha pursued every opportunity to challenge herself across aviation, leadership, and service. She noticed that many students were interested in aerospace but lacked a clear pathway to explore it, so Aalisha founded her school’s first aviation club. Through the club, she worked to create more opportunities for students to engage with the field through hands-on workshops, competitions, and speaker panels. Her goal was not only to build interest in aerospace, but to open a door for students who may never have seen aviation as something they could belong to or lead in. Beyond the classroom, Aalisha aims to expand access to aviation and emerging technology through her startup, DronesToMars, by introducing students and communities to unmanned flight systems and other real-world aerospace applications.  

Aalisha’s commitment to aviation also grew through her time as a cadet in Civil Air Patrol, where she was introduced to the responsibility and discipline required in industry projects. Continuing her dedication to serving something larger than herself, she plans to further develop her technical skill and resilience through her enlistment in the 181st Intelligence Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard. With a deep interest in innovative global air and space systems, she has worked to become a well-rounded leader in the field: a student, private pilot, entrepreneur, advocate, teacher, and future policymaker.  

As a first-generation Indian American woman entering fields that have historically been male-dominated, Aalisha wants to help create spaces where others feel seen, heard, and capable of leading. To her, representation is not enough on its own; young women and underrepresented students also need access, mentorship, visibility, and the confidence to believe their ideas can change entire industries. As a result, she is passionate about giving people a platform and a voice through her endeavors. 

Looking ahead, Aalisha hopes to work at the intersection of international satellite policy and the commercialization of global airspace. She is interested in how satellites, drones, and future space technologies will shape national security, transportation, and international cooperation. Her long-term goal is to help build fair, safe, and forward-thinking policies for the next era of aviation and space exploration. No matter where the skies take her, Aalisha is ready to represent the next generation of women who do not wait for a seat at the table, but help redesign the table for everyone who comes after them. 

“Aalisha’s achievements are a powerful demonstration of what it means to build the future,” said Heather Nelson, Director of Club for the Future. “Through her entrepreneurship and advocacy, she is already opening doors and inspiring her peers to reach for the sky. Club for the Future is delighted to partner with AIAA to honor her incredible work with this scholarship, and we cannot wait to see the impact she will have at Purdue and beyond.” 

The 2027 Resilient Student Scholarship will be open for applicants in December 2026. 

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

Club for the Future Media Contact: Heather Nelson, [email protected], 253-437-2318 

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With over 33,000 individual members from 91 countries, and more than 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 us on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and Facebook. 

About Club for the Future
Founded by Blue Origin, Club for the Future is a non-profit with the mission to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) for the benefit of Earth. The Club and its partners are doing this through the Postcards to Space program, providing space-focused lessons and events, and activating ambassadors around the world. 

Resilient Student Scholarship Empowers Future Aerospace Researcher

FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA and Club for the Future’s Resilient Student Scholarship supports students interested in pursuing a degree in aerospace. The recipient of the 2025 $10,000 AIAA and Club for the Future Resilient Student Scholarship, Robert Morris, is a bright star in his first year at Howard University.

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.

AIAA Establishes Steve L. Karman Jr. Aerospace Engineering Scholarship to Honor Aerospace Legacy

From the Institute
AIAA is proud to honor the legacy of a remarkable family man who made significant contributions to aerospace over his 40+ year career through the new Steve L. Karman Jr. Aerospace Engineering Scholarship. The $10,000 scholarship aims to support undergraduate students who embody the same dedication to aerospace excellence that Steve demonstrated throughout his career. It was made possible through the generous funding provided by AIAA Fellow John Chawner, a colleague and dear friend of Steve.
Full Story (Aerospace America)

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/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and 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 Twitter, Facebook, 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.