Tag: winners

AIAA Announces 2024 Sustained Service Awards Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 5, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Sustained Service Awards. The award recognizes sustained, significant service and contributions to AIAA by members of the Institute.

“AIAA volunteers are the aerospace community’s greatest resource,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “These AIAA members lead by example, using their talent and energy to guide the community. We are grateful for their dedication and hard work.”

Recipients must be AIAA members in good standing who have shown continuing dedication to the interests of the Institute by making significant and sustained contributions over a period of time, typically 10 years or more. Active participation and service at the local section/regional level, and/or the national level is a potential discriminator in the evaluation of candidates.

The 2024 Sustained Service Awards winners are:

  • Ronald-M.-Barrett-GonzalezRonald M. Barrett-Gonzalez, University of Kansas
    For continued support of AIAA in the Wichita Section, as a student branch faculty advisor, and on national technical committees.Barrett-Gonzalez received B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Kansas in 1988 and 1993, respectively, and an M.S. from the University of Maryland in 1990 in aerospace engineering. He has authored more than 400 technical publications, holds 19 patents, and is a member of the Aircraft Design and Adaptive Structures Technical Committees (TC). He has served on faculties at Auburn, Alabama, TU Delft, and KU as the AIAA Student Branch Faculty Advisor.
  • John-W.-DankanichJohn W. Dankanich, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
    For continued and dedicated service to AIAA and the aerospace community.Dankanich received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Purdue University in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. He is the Chief Technologist of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the NASA agency Capability Lead for In-Space Transportation. He is a subject-matter expert in trajectory optimization, mission architecture design, and propulsion technology development and testing.
  • Stanley-D.-FergusonStanley D. Ferguson, The Boeing Company (retired)
    For sustained service and support to the AIAA Pacific Northwest Section, national committees, technical meetings, student competitions, and STEM activities. Ferguson retired from Boeing after a 40-year career in aerodynamic design, analysis, aircraft integration, and certification. His contributions resulted in numerous patents and awards. He received his MSE degree from the University of Washington in 1979, and BSAE from West Virginia University in 1973. Ferguson has served AIAA in local section positions, national committees, and is an AIAA Associate Fellow.
  • Kenneth-LuiKenneth Lui, Ken’s Consulting
    For outstanding volunteer service to the AIAA Los Angeles-Las Vegas Section, demonstrating tireless dedication in organizing conferences, and establishing young professional, student branch, and diversity events.Lui is Chair of the AIAA Los Angeles-Las Vegas(LA-LV) Section and has been a Council Member since 2015. An AIAA Senior Member, he is also a member of the AIAA Space Settlement TC and the Microgravity and Space Processes TC. He obtained his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Carnegie Mellon University and worked in institutes such as the University of Alabama, City of Hope, and UCLA. He has been a consultant for several years.
  • Anastasios-S.-LyrintzisAnastasios S. Lyrintzis, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
    For over 35 years of sustained AIAA service, including leadership roles on committees, conference organization, and publicationsLyrintzis has done research in aeroacoustics, authoring over 200 papers and advising 22 Ph.D. students. He has been a member and Chair of the AIAA Aeroacoustics TC, a member and Chair of the Aerospace Department Chair Association, and the Higher Education Committee. An AIAA Fellow, Lyrintzis has organized several AIAA conferences and served as an Associate Editor for AIAA Journal.
  • Kurt-A.-PolzinKurt A. Polzin, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
    For sustained, significant service and contributions at the local, regional, and national levels of AIAA.Polzin received his B.S. from Ohio State University and completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University. He joined NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in 2004, and is presently the Chief Engineer for NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion project. Polzin is an AIAA Associate Fellow and recently completed his second three-year term as Director–Region II.
  • Lawrence-W.-StephensLawrence W. Stephens, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control
    For many years of impactful leadership and dedicated service to AIAA and its members at the student branch, section, regional, and national levels.Stephens is Director of Engineering Affordability for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. He was previously Director of Systems Engineering and then Chief Engineer for Advanced Programs and Special Programs. His contributions include system development programs in aircraft, space, and missile systems from concept studies through flight demonstrations. Stephens is an Aerospace Engineering graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and an AIAA Fellow.
  • Marilee-J.-WheatonMarilee J. Wheaton, The Aerospace Corporation
    For sustained contributions to the Economics and the Systems Engineering Technical Committees, for impactful service to the Fellows Selection and Honors and Awards Committees, and for technical leadership of the AIAA SPACE Forum and AIAA SciTech Forum.Wheaton is a Systems Engineering Fellow at The Aerospace Corporation. She provides technical leadership and building capability to include enterprise systems engineering, digital engineering, systems architecting, and model-based systems engineering. Wheaton is a 2008 AIAA Fellow, and she is also a Fellow and current President of INCOSE, and a SWE Fellow and Life Member.

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 Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces Recipients of 2024 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 20, 2024 – Reston, Va. –  The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship. The four $10,000 scholarships have been awarded to the following high school seniors. Read their full profiles on the AIAA website.

  • Alexis Andrulonis, 2024 recipient of AIAA’s Roger W. Kahn ScholarshipAlexis Andrulonis from Maple Glen, Pennsylvania
    Currently attending Upper Dublin High School
  • Daisy Li, 2024 recipient of AIAA’s Roger W. Kahn ScholarshipDaisy Li from Jupiter, Florida
    Currently attending Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts
  • Khue Phan, 2024 recipient of AIAA’s Roger W. Kahn ScholarshipKhue Phan from Houston, Texas
    Currently attending Kerr High School
  • Leslie Nava, 2024 recipient of AIAA’s Roger W. Kahn ScholarshipLeslie Nava from Fort Worth, Texas
    Currently attending I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA

The 2024 Kahn Scholarship recipients will be recognized during the AIAA Awards Gala on Wednesday, 15 May, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Tickets for the AIAA Awards Gala are available now. Each of the recipients also will be matched with an AIAA professional member as a mentor who will help guide them on their career path.

The Roger W. Kahn Scholarship was created to honor the memory of Roger 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, Kahn 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.

“AIAA is pleased to honor the memory of Roger W. Kahn with a scholarship supporting the next generation of the aerospace profession. Kahn’s legacy of aviation enthusiasm and accomplishment began nearly 100 years ago and will remain relevant in the next 100 years of aviation and aerospace innovation,” commented AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher. “We are thrilled to award the Kahn Scholarship again this year to support these four impressive students as they shape the future of aerospace!”

AIAA introduced its High School Student Membership in 2021 as part of its commitment to becoming a vital lifelong link for student to access reliable resources and growth opportunities. AIAA high school members also have access to the Mentor Match program, the My Daily Launch news briefing, and webinars and on-demand content, as well as the exclusive Engage community platform to network with peers around the globe.

Basil Hassan, chair of the AIAA Foundation, added, “AIAA is honored by Roger W. Kahn’s gift to AIAA as a powerful investment in students. The AIAA Foundation is pleased to use part of this gift to help identify, mentor, and promote promising young aerospace talent. It’s especially exciting to support high school seniors at this early stage of their journey from classroom to career.”

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, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2024 International Student Conference Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 29, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2024 International Student Conference winners in partnership with the AIAA Foundation. During the 2024 AIAA SciTech Forum in January, 21 technical paper first-place finalists from all seven 2023 AIAA Regional Student Conferences and the PEGASUS – Europe Conference presented their research papers related to aeronautics and astronautics.

“Congratulations to these exemplary students on their accomplishments. The AIAA Foundation is committed to preparing the next generation of aerospace innovators through events like the International Student Conference,” said Basil Hassan, chair, AIAA Foundation. “We are pleased to welcome so many AIAA student members to AIAA SciTech Forum. They will be our industry’s next leaders and problem-solvers and we look forward to seeing how they shape the future of aerospace.”

The International Student Conference is an invitation-only event 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).

2024 International Student Conference Winners

  • Undergraduate Category
    Georgia-Warren,-University-of-New-South-Wales--11st place: “Development and Testing of a Stereo Photogrammetry System for Multi-axis Optical Tracking of Free-flight Models” by Georgia Warren, University of New South Wales
  • Ryan-Thibaudeau,-Utah-State-University--awardMaster’s Category
    1st place: “Development of a Potassium Permanganate Catalyst-Infused Fuel Grain for Hydrogen Peroxide Hybrid Thruster Ignition Enhancement” by Ryan Thibaudeau, Utah State University
  • Casey-Fagley,-United-States-Air-Force-Academy-award-_-TeamTeam Category
    1st place: “Aerodynamic Evaluation of Longitudinal and Lateral-Directional Stability Coupling on the NASA Orion Crew Module” by Patrick Koenig, Joseph Roy, Lucas Yantis, Casey Fagley, United States Air Force Academy

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804.397.5270 cell
Click images to see larger versions.

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 2023 International Student Conference Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 9, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the undergraduate, team, and master’s winners of the 2023 International Student Conference, held during the 2023 AIAA SciTech Forum, National Harbor, Maryland, 23–27 January.

Nineteen technical paper first-place finalists from all seven 2022 AIAA Regional Student Conferences presented their research papers related to aeronautics and astronautics. A volunteer panel of AIAA members reviewed their technical content and clarity of communication. In partnership with Lockheed Martin Corporation, AIAA sponsors the International Student Conference annually at the forum.

“Congratulations to these exemplary students on their accomplishments. Preparing the next generation of aerospace innovators is part of our commitment to the aerospace community,” said Basil Hassan, chair, AIAA Foundation. “The students recognized here are some of our industry’s next leaders and problem-solvers. We are proud to call them AIAA student members and we look forward to seeing how they shape the future of aerospace.”

Since 2018, Lockheed Martin Corporation’s generous donation to the AIAA Foundation has supported the International Student Conference and sponsored student attendees who presented their papers. The AIAA Foundation awards three $1,000 cash prizes to each category’s first-place winners. All participants’ papers are published as part of the AIAA SciTech Forum proceedings.

2023 International Student Conference Winners

Undergraduate Category
1st place: “Experimental Verification of the USAFA 1-DOF Dynamic Stability Characterization Capability and Future 3-DOF Cross Coupling Enhancements,” by Molly Ellinger, Jacob Szymanski, Casey P. Fagley, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado

Master’s Category
1st place: “Optimization of Heat Release within a Dual-Mode Ramjet Using Ignition Delay Energy Source Terms,” by Francis Centlivre, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio

Team Category
1st place: “Design of Large-Scale 3D Printed Components for UAV Cargo Transport,” by Cody Watson, Caroline Dixon, Nate Kuczun, and Dr. Jade Morton, University of Colorado Boulder (presented by Cody Watson)

The International Student Conference is an invitation-only student conference where first-place winners from each of the previous year’s AIAA Regional Student Conferences present their winning papers. Since 2018, Lockheed Martin Corporation’s generous donation to the AIAA Foundation has supported the International Student Conference and sponsored student attendees who presented their papers.

Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, APR, [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 Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2023 Sustained Service Awards Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 5, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Sustained Service Awards. The award recognizes “sustained, significant service and contributions to AIAA by members of the Institute.”

“AIAA volunteers are the aerospace community’s greatest resource,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “These AIAA members lead by example, using their talent and energy to guide the community. We are grateful for their dedication and hard work.”

Recipients must be AIAA members in good standing who have shown continuing dedication to the interests of the Institute by making significant and sustained contributions over a period of time, typically 10 years or more. Active participation and service at the local section/regional level, and/or the national level is a potential discriminator in the evaluation of candidates.

The 2023 Sustained Service Awards winners are:

  • David-L-CarrollDavid L. Carroll, CU Aerospace LLC
    Citation: For distinguished and sustained service to AIAA; the enhancement of science, innovation, and entrepreneurial leadership in aerospace engineering; and education of scientist engineers.Carroll co-founded CU Aerospace in 1998 and has served as its president since 2011. The company’s focus is engineering innovation for new aerospace technology products. He received his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1992. Carroll is an AIAA Fellow.
  • John-W-DailyJohn W. Daily, University of Colorado Boulder
    Citation: In recognition of sustained contributions to the Institute’s technical services, publications, and education committees.Daily is Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1975. He works in the field of combustion and fire. He has served AIAA in numerous positions and is an AIAA Fellow.
  • Luisella-GiulicchiLuisella Giulicchi, European Space Agency
    Citation: For over two decades of service to the Institute’s governance, regional organization, and technical activities, and for being the advocate of international cooperation and AIAA engagement worldwide.Giulicchi is a system manager at the European Space Agency (ESA), The Netherlands, for the Copernicus Program – the largest operational Earth observation program in the world. Her technical and programmatic management contributions include Bepi Colombo, SMART-1, LISA Pathfinder, Copernicus Sentinel-1, and Copernicus Sentinel-6. She is an AIAA Associate Fellow, RAeS Fellow, WIA-Europe President, and past member of the AIAA Board of Directors.
  • Walter-O-GordonWalter O. Gordon, Moog Inc. (retired); Colonel, U.S. Air Force (retired)
    Citation: For exceptional service to AIAA and for significant advancement of aerospace activities.Gordon worked as an engineer in Western New York for 41 years before retiring recently to devote his time to the AIAA Niagara Frontier Section and to local aerospace history. He also flew C130s in the Air Force Reserve, retiring in 2014 as the commander of the 914th Airlift Wing.
  • Dawn-PhillipsDawn Phillips, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
    Citation: In honor of 20 years of dedicated service, leadership, and tireless work on behalf of AIAA, the AIAA Structures Technical Committee, and AIAA members.With NASA, Phillips has supported the Space Shuttle, Ares, and SLS programs as a stress analyst and member of the NESC Structures Team. She is currently in Huntsville, Ala., as the MSFC Assistant Chief Engineer for the International Space Station.
  • Sidra-SiltonSidra Silton, U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory
    Citation: For two decades of dedicated service to the applied aerodynamics and fluid dynamics technical communities.Silton received her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001. Upon graduation she began working for the Army Research Laboratory where she now serves as Chief of the Mechanical Sciences Division. Silton is an AIAA Associate Fellow.

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, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces Recipients of 2023 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 14, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship. The four $10,000 scholarships have been awarded to the following high school seniors:

  • Lydia-AmesLydia Ames of Nolensville, Tennessee
    Attends: Nolensville High School
  • Samannita-MikherjeeSamannita Mukherjee of Floral Park, New York
    Attends: Floral Park Memorial High School
  • Anna-PhanAnna Phan of Cypress, Texas
    Attends: Cypress Woods High School
  • Valeria-SantoyoValeria Santoyo of South Gate, California
    Attends: Saint Joseph High School

Read their full profiles on the AIAA website.

The 2023 Kahn Scholarship recipients will be recognized during the AIAA Awards Gala, Thursday, 18 May, at The John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Tickets for the AIAA Awards Gala are available now. Each of the recipients also will be matched with an AIAA professional member as a mentor who will help guide them on their career path as part of the popular AIAA Mentor Match program.

The Roger W. Kahn Scholarship was created to honor the memory of Roger 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, Kahn 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.

“AIAA is pleased to honor the memory of Roger W. Kahn with a scholarship supporting the next generation of the aerospace profession. Kahn’s legacy of aviation enthusiasm and accomplishment began nearly 100 years ago and will remain relevant in the next 100 years of aviation and aerospace innovation,” commented AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher. “We are thrilled to award the Kahn Scholarship again this year. We can’t wait to see how these four incredible students shape the future of aerospace!”

AIAA introduced its High School Student Membership in 2021 as part of its commitment to becoming a vital lifelong link for student to access reliable resources and growth opportunities. AIAA high school members also have access to the Mentor Match program, the Daily Launch newsletter, and webinars and on-demand content, as well as the exclusive Engage community platform to communicate and network with peers around the globe.

Basil Hassan, chair of the AIAA Foundation, added, “AIAA is honored by Roger W. Kahn’s gift to AIAA as a powerful investment in students. The AIAA Foundation is pleased to use part of this gift to help identify, mentor, and promote promising young aerospace talent. It’s especially exciting to support high school seniors at this early stage of their journey from classroom to career.”

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, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2022 Regional Student Conference Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 20, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of six of the 2022 Regional Student Conferences.

“We are thrilled to return to in-person AIAA Regional Student Conferences. These events are key to giving students practical experience presenting their research findings and receiving valuable feedback from professionals in the aerospace community,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “We look forward to seeing how these students shape the future of aerospace!”

AIAA holds conferences in each region for university student members at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This is the first year since the program’s inception that High School Members were invited to present. The student conferences are a way for students to present their research and be judged on technical content and presentation skills by AIAA members working in the aerospace industry. Lockheed Martin was the generous sponsor of these conferences.

More than 170 papers were presented by university and high school students across all six regions, with over 500 students and professionals in attendance.

The first-place university student winners in each undergraduate, graduate, and team categories (listed below) are invited to attend and present their papers at the AIAA International Student Conference, to be held in conjunction with the 2023 AIAA SciTech Forum in National Harbor, Md., 23-27 January.

Region I Winners
High School Category

  • 1st Place – “Breaking Statistics of Airlines Sanitation Efforts,” Kristin Nelson, Natalie Catalano, and Ella Bianco, It’s a Girls World (Carneys Point, N.J.)

Undergraduate Category

  • 1st Place – “Estimation of UconAS Relative Position and Orientation Using Multiple Parwise Range Measurements,” Ezra Bregin, University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
  • 2nd Place – “Viability in Electric Propulsion in Small Satellites for Active Debris Removal,” Yaw Tung Tan, Kelly Irons, and Elaine Petro, Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.)
  • 3rd Place – “Trajectory Optimization for Refueling Geosynchronous Satellites,” Evangelina Evans, Pennsylvania State University (State College, Pa.)

Masters Category

  • 1st Place – “Use of Naphthalene Sublimation Technique to Study Solid Fuel Regression,” Grace Hall, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, Va.)
  • 2nd Place – “Large Deformation Bending of Ultralight Deployable Structure for Nano and Micro Class Satellites,” Jimesh Bhagatji and Oleksandr Kravchenko, Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.)
  • 3rd Place – “QCM Temperature-Frequency Characterization for Plume Measurement Application,” Arthur Chadwick and Elaine Petro, Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.)

Team Category

  • 1st Place – “Jovian Autonomous Sailplane of Persistent Exploration and Research (JASPER),” Joseph Malach, Edward Luthartio, Haley Parker, Sydney Kwitowski, Aiman Alobah, Alexander Hertz, Sayad Asif, Javid Bagandor, University at Buffalo, State University of New York (Buffalo, N.Y.)
  • 2nd Place – “Development of Spectroscopic Measurement Systems of Investigating Scramjet Cavity Flameholding,” Andrew Metro, Spencer Barnes, Owen Petito, and Chloe Dedic, University of Virginia (Charlottesville, Va.)
  • 3rd Place – “Design and Analysis for an Ionospheric CubeSat,” Tyler Lizotte, Phillip Durgin, Jeremy Gagnon, Veronika Karshina, Christopher Ritter, Harrison Smith, Drake Tierney, and Samuel Waring, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, Mass.)

AIAA Aircraft Operations Technical Committee Best Aircraft Operations Paper

  • “IR Detection System for Application in Wildfire Suppression,” Adam Del Colliano, University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)

Region II Winners
Undergraduate Category

  • 1st Place – “Development and Fabrication of an Ultrasonic MEMS Anemometer for Use in Low-Pressure Environments,” Alexander Reilly, University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
  • 2nd Place – “Developing a Bio-Inspired Artificial Butterfly Vehicle,” Thomas Clark and Chang-kwon Kang, University of Alabama in Huntsville (Huntsville, Ala.)
  • 3rd Place – “Application of Vibrational Damping on Spacecraft Crew Capsule Design Using Common Aerospace Materials,” Kody Parsotan and Seshan Jayapregasham, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, Fla.)

Masters Category

  • 1st Place Mike Freeman Award – Investigation of shock-wave Boundary Layer interaction for a Mach 1.8 flow Isolator,” Larry Thompson and Michael Atkinson, North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, N.C.)
  • 2nd Place – “View Factors and Busemann Geometry for Ram Accelerator Projectile Design,” Conor McGibbony and Eric Booth, Southeastern Louisiana University (Hammond, La.)
  • 3rd Place – “On the Kármán–Pohlhausen Momentum-Integral Approach: Extension to Flow Over a Cylinder with a Variable Pressure Gradient,” Rudy Al Ahmar and Joseph Majdalani, Auburn University (Auburn, Ala.)

Team Category

  • 1st Place Stan Powell Award – “Lunar Lava Tube Exploration with CubeRover: Wandering Observer of Lunar Features (WOLF) Rover,” Alina Creamer, Brigid Donohue, Bennett Meyer, and Manuel Puyana, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, N.C.)
  • 2nd Place – “Solid Propellant Arc Combustion for Small Satellite Propulsion,” Mallory Roy, Ashley Rivkin, Samuel Lovelace, Jessica Cutler, Nathan Fischer, Victor Robleto, Sean Gunther, Emily Milne, and Abram Murphy, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Fla.)
  • 3rd Place – “Racing Drones for STEM Education,” Mackenzie Wiles, Bryce Fuson, and Michelle Engelke, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Fla.)

Outstanding Branch Activity Category

  • 1st Place – “GT AIAA: Lockheed Martin Case Study,” Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Ga.)
  • 2nd Place – “Community Outreach in STEM at Florida Tech,” Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Fla.)
  • 3rd Place – “Career Networking Events—Meet the Geeks,” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, Fla.)

Regional Design Team Category

  • 1st Place – “UofM NERD Team Rover Design,” University of Memphis (Memphis, Tenn.)

Freshman/Sophomore Open Topic Category

  • 1st Place – “The Future of Aviation in Zero Carbon Emissions Aircraft,” Shannon Tracy, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Fla.)
  • 2nd Place – “Lunar Mining of Tritium,” Beck Kerridge and Colin Zelasko, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Fla.)
  • 3rd Place – “Spacecraft Attitude Control Methods,” Jesus Delgado, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Fla.)

Region III Winners
Undergraduate Category

  • 1st Place – “Design of an All-Terrain Aerial Robotic Interface (ATARI) as a Collaborative Platform for UAVs,” Rebecca Gilligan, University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio)
  • 2nd Place – “A Thermodynamics Analysis for Improvement of Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies for Space,” Meghan Thai, Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.)
  • 3rd Place – “Practical Investigation into the Diffusion Bonding of 316L Stainless Steel with Boron Carbide,” Timothy DeFranco and Calvin Chandler, Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio)

Masters Category

  • 1st Place – “Optimization of Heat Release within a Dual-Mode Ramjet Using Ignition Delay Energy Source Terms,” Francis Centlivre, Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio)
  • 2nd Place – “Hypersonic Vehicle Conceptual Design Tools Assessment,” James Wnek, Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio)
  • 3rd Place – “Comparison and Uncertainty Quantification of Roof Pressure Measurements in the NIST and TPU Aerodynamic Databases,” Erick Shelley, Erin Hubbard, and Wei Zhang, Cleveland State University (Cleveland, Ohio)

Team Category

  • 1st Place – “Optimization of a Lenz Style VAWT Geometry Utilizing CFD and Genetic Algorithms,” Dylan Habig, Timothy Mayer, Trevor Ransbury, Brandon Frymire, Luke McClung, and James Canino, Trine University (Angola, Ind.)
  • 2nd Place – “Using Classical Control Theory to Optimize Cooldown Phase Propellent Flow Rate for a Nuclear Thermal Rocket Engine,” David Giancola, Angel Eng, James Midkiff, Jeff Simko, and Joanna Valentas, Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio)
  • 3rd Place – “Investigation of Flow Control for a Piston Positive Expulsion Bipropellant Tank,” Raghav Bhagwat, Joseph Januszewski, Chris Petrilla, and John Horack, Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio)

Region IV Winners
Undergraduate Category

  • 1st Place – “Design, Analysis, and Manufacture of a Vacuum Pump Sound-Dampening Enclosure,” Connor Goodman and Joseph Hernandez-McCloskey, University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
  • 2nd Place – “Topological Optimization and Generative Design of Drone Structures (A research project to promote a new aerospace educational industry in underdeveloped countries),” Sofia Gutierrez and Juan Ocampo, Saint Mary’s University (San Antonio, Texas)
  • 3rd Place – “Experimental Evaluation of 14-Inch to 20-Inch Diameter Propellers at Low Reynolds Number Operation,” Austin Rouser, Brock Rouser, and Kurt Rouser, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Okla.)

Masters Category

  • 1st Place – “Thermodynamic analysis of nitric oxide in an optically accessible, temperature-controlled gas cell via laser absorption spectroscopy,” Benjamin Steavenson, Joseph Hernandez-McCloskey, and Daniel Pineda, University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
  • 2nd Place – “Deep neural network for measurements in a non-uniform flowfield using single line-of-sight laser absorption spectroscopy,” Kyle Fetter, Joseph Hernandez-McCloskey, and Daniel Pineda, University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
  • 3rd Place – “Effects of Surface Roughness on Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interaction using a Hollow Flare Cylinder Model,” Matt Garcia and Christopher Combs, University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)

Team Category

  • 1st Place – “Design of the UTSA High-Enthalpy Shock Tube Facility,” Joseph Hernandez-McCloskey, Benjamin Steavenson, Andrew Alexander, Shelby Franklin, and Carson Bush, University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
  • 2nd Place – “Engine Redesign and Integration of Rocket Assisted Take-Off on a Small, High-Speed Unmanned Aircraft,” Jeremy Barton, Mahayla Mitchell, Devin Bishop, Tevin James, Mason Jernigan, Callahan Morris, Chase Wilson, Ben Sanford, Romain Bailey, and Cooper Degner, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Okla.)
  • 3rd Place – “Stratospheric Conductivity Balloon Campaign With Accessible Payload Design,” Alexandra Ulinski, Rachel Nathan, Andy Nguyencuu, Carlos Salas, Elizabeth Hernandez, and Edgar Bering, University of Houston (Houston, Texas)

Region V Winners
Undergraduate Category

  • 1st Place – “Experimental Verification of the USAFA 1-DOF Dynamic Stability Characterization Capability and Future 3-DOF Cross Coupling Enhancements,” Molly Ellinger, Jacob Szymanski, and Casey Fagley, United States Air Force Academy (Air Force Academy, Colo.)
  • 2nd Place – “Typical Section Models for Body Freedom Flutter,” Nicholas Hawley and Samuel Stanton, United States Air Force Academy (Air Force Academy, Colo.)
  • 3rd Place – “Circular Restricted Three Body Problem for Lunar Position, Navigation, and Timing System,” Kaitlyn Roberts and Lt Col Nathan Collins, United States Air Force Academy (Air Force Academy, Colo.)

Masters Category

  • 1st Place – “A Multi-Agent UAS Path-finding Algorithm for Unmanned Traffic Management Operations,” Justin Nguyen and Mujahid Abdulrahim, University of Missouri–Kansas City (Kansas City, Mo.)
  • 2nd Place – “Development of Multi-Mission UAS Design Optimization and Prototyping Architectures,” Austin Stark, Alan Cordon, and Mujahid Abdulrahim, University of Missouri–Kansas City (Kansas City, Mo.)
  • 3rd Place – “Tip Shape, Height, and Thickness Influences on Nonlinear Acoustic Damping from Baffle Blades,” Joseph Day and J. Matt Quinlan, University of Colorado Colorado Springs (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Team Category

  • 1st Place – “Design of Large-Scale 3D Printed Components for UAV Cargo Transport,” Cody Watson, Caroline Dixon, and Nate Kuczun, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, Colo.)
  • 2nd Place – “Open Source Evaluation of the Performance Capabilities of the Chengdu J-20 Fighter Future Propulsion System,” Jacob Ellison, Molly Ellinger, Ryan Chen, Joseph McCaffrey, Gavin Ross, Alicia Kwasny, Saif Dabash, Emily Huber, Shane Lindsay, Isaac Monson, and Connor Wiese, United States Air Force Academy (Air Force Academy, Colo.)
  • 3rd Place – “CubIST: CubeSat Integrated Star Tracker,” Chesney Boal, Natalie Link, Cameron Humphreys, Chava Friedman, Nicolena Weber, Quaid Garton, Matthew Gedrich, Chad Pflieger, Maria Callas, and Josephine Johnson, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, Colo.)

Region VI Winners
High School Category

  • 1st Place – “Computational Fluid Dynamics For a Solar Car,” Lucien Freemesser and Hai Lin Truman, Raisbeck Aviation High School (Tukwila, Wash.)
  • 2nd Place Tie – “Creating an Alpha Indicator for a Schweizer 2-33,” Canaan Cortes, Mother of Divine Grace High School (Ojai, Calif.)
  • 2nd Place Tie – “Synthesis and Applications of Flash Joule Heating Graphene for Manufacturing in Space,” Andrew Lusk and Joseph Whitesell, Calvary Chapel High School (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Undergraduate Category

  • 1st Place – “Thermal Analysis of Boron/PVDF and Boron Carbide/PVDF Mixtures,” Moussa Coulibaly and Joseph Kalman, California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.)
  • 2nd Place – “Processing of High-Speed Video Data for Rotating Detonation Engines,” David Menn, University of Washington (Seattle, Wash.)
  • 3rd Place – “An Empirical Study of Baffle Impact on Diffusive Fuel/Oxidizer Mixing with Simulant Gases,” Carter Vu, University of Washington (Seattle, Wash.)

Masters Category

  • 1st Place – “Modification of Supersonic to Hypersonic Wind Tunnel by Sizing Heater for High Enthalpy Conditions,” Justin Slavick and Nandeesh Hiremath, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)

Team Category

  • 1st Place – “Design of a Lunar Architecture for Tree Traversal in Service of Cabled Exploration (LATTICE),” Kaila Comibra, Calle Junker, Lucas Pabarcious, Malcolm Tisdale, Jedidiah Alindogan, Robert Daigle, Nathan Ng, Parul Singh, Tomás Wexler, and Soon-Jo Chung, California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, Calif.)
  • 2nd Place – “Water Impact of Rigid Biconic Geometries: An Experimental Investigation into Space Capsule Splashdown Events,” Vihan Krishnan, Kirin Peterson, Pinhua Guo, and Mahmood Alfayoumi, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, Calif.)
  • 3rd Place Tie – “Characterization of Additively Manufactured Fuel Grains for Hybrid Rocket Applications,” Jacob Davies, Lance Mayhue, and Jenna Matus, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, Calif.)
  • 3rd Place Tie – “Harvesting Thermal Energy from Frictional Braking by using a Thermoelectric Medium,” Victoria Malarczyk, Cade Hermeston, Will Soiland, Joseph Weissig, and Luke Wilson, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, AIAA, [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 Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2022 Undergraduate Scholarship and Graduate Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 1, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation has announced the 25 winners of its 2022 undergraduate scholarships and graduate awards. Through its Foundation and supported by nearly 30,000 members, AIAA awards over $100,000 in academic scholarships and STEM educational grants to support the next generation of aerospace professionals.

“Congratulations to these exemplary students on receiving scholarships and awards to further their education. Preparing the next generation of aerospace innovators is part of our commitment to the aerospace community,” said Basil Hassan, chair, AIAA Foundation. “The students recognized here are some of our industry’s next leaders and problem-solvers. We are proud to call them AIAA student members and we look forward to seeing how they shape the future of aerospace.”

Applications for the 2023 scholarships and awards are being accepted from 1 October 2022 to 31 January 2023.

The 2022 undergraduate scholarship winners are:

    • The AIAA Foundation, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, is pleased to present the inaugural AIAA Lockheed Martin Marillyn Hewson Scholarship to the following two students. This $10,000 scholarship is a needs-based award presented to one female high school graduate and one female enrolled university student each year.
      • Julianna Schneider, accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
      • Penelope Nieves, currently enrolled at University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico)
    • The $10,000 Daedalus 88 Scholarship, endowed by former AIAA President John Langford, founder and CEO Emeritus of Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company, and founder and CEO of Electra.aero, was presented to Rebecca Gilligan, University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio).
    • 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 Kaila Coimbra, California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California).
    • 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, and president of advanced systems for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, and his wife Vicki, was presented to Michael Esry, Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana).
    • The $5,000 Wernher von Braun Scholarship, named in honor of the German rocketeer and founder of the U.S. space program, was presented to Satvik Kumar, Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia).
  • The $1,250 Leatrice Gregory Pendray Scholarship, named in honor of Mrs. Leatrice Pendray, an accomplished rocketry researcher and co-founder of the American Interplanetary Society in 1930 was presented to Eszter Anna Varga, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Blacksburg, Virginia).

Six AIAA Foundation scholarships were presented by AIAA technical committees (TC) to students performing research in the TC’s area:

    • The Space Transportation TC presented a $1,500 scholarship to Rebecca Zurek, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, Florida).
    • The Digital Avionics TC presented five scholarships of $3,000 each:
    • The Dr. James Rankin Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Patrick Bailey, University of South Carolina (Columbia, South Carolina).
    • The Dr. Amy R. Pritchett Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Adam Hale, Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah).
    • The Ellis F. Hitt Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Justin Self, California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, California).
    • The Cary Spitzer Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Jesus Delgado, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Florida).
    • The Denise Ponchak Digital Avionics Scholarship was presented to Sanjay Kuruchanvalasu Jambulingam, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India)

The 2022 graduate award winners are:

    • Michelle Lin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Cambridge, Massachusetts, received the Neil Armstrong Graduate Award. This $5,000 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.
    • Brigid Donohue and John Parrish, 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 $5,000 awards are presented each year.
    • Javier Viana, University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio), received the 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.
  • Shashank Maurya, University of Maryland – College Park (College Park, Maryland), and Abinash Sahoo, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina), each received the Orville and Wilbur Wright Graduate Award. These $5,000 awards, given in memory of the Wright brothers’ contributions to the evolution of flight, recognize two full-time graduate students.

Six AIAA TCs also presented graduate awards:

    • Damien Guého, Pennsylvania State University (State College, Pennsylvania), received the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) TC’s $2,500 Guidance, Navigation and Control Graduate Award.
    • Tengjie Gao, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Florida), received the Liquid Propulsion TC’s $2,500 Liquid Propulsion Graduate Award.
    • Aashutosh Mishra, Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama), received the Modeling and Simulation TC’s $3,500 Luis de Florez Graduate Award.
  • Hongyuan Zhang, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota), received the Propellants and Combustion TC’s $1,250 Martin Summerfield Propellants and Combustion Graduate Award.
    • Rishi Roy, University of Maryland – College Park (College Park, Maryland) received the Air Breathing Propulsion TC’s $1,000 Gordon C. Oates Air Breathing Propulsion Graduate Award.
  • Michael Harwin, Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, Florida) received the General Aviation TC’s $1,000 William T. Piper Sr. Graduate Award.

 

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, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2025 Sustained Service Awards Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 3, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Sustained Service Awards. The award recognizes sustained, significant service and contributions to AIAA by members of the Institute.

“Volunteers are the driving force of the Institute – we couldn’t achieve our mission without the ingenuity, hands-on collaboration, and selfless service of our members,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “This year’s Sustained Service honorees exemplify servant leadership. We are grateful for their invaluable contributions to our community.”

The Sustained Service Award winners are AIAA members in good standing who have shown continuing dedication to the interests of the Institute by making significant and sustained contributions over a period of time, typically 10 years or more. Active participation and service at the local section/regional level, and/or the national level is a potential discriminator in the evaluation of candidates.

The 2025 Sustained Service Awards winners are:

  • Steven X. BauerSteven X. Bauer, NASA Langley Research Center
    For sustained leadership, service, and contributions to the Hampton Roads Section, Region I, and AIAA National.Bauer became an AIAA student member in his freshman year of college, 1981. He served as student branch officer and has held many positions in the Hampton Roads Section, including section chair. He was the Region I Director for six years. Bauer has worked at NASA Langley Research Center since 1983 and is retiring in December 2024.
  • Gene R. DionneGene R. Dionne, Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)
    For his passionate, unmatched support of AIAA and the Rocky Mountain Section through volunteering across all committees.Dionne spent 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, mostly in space systems acquisition and technology development. He was intimate in the manufacturing, integration, test and launch/on-orbit operations of ~30 satellites, which all exceeded their mean mission durations. Dionne spent 22 years at Lockheed Martin Space in systems engineering and program management. He was selected as AIAA Fellow in 2014, and served on the Fellows Selection Committee for three years. He was AIAA Rocky Mountain Section Chair for two years and continued to assist on the section’s executive council for another 20 years as the “Fellow-at-large.”
  • Trevor S. ElliottTrevor S. Elliott, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
    For prolific, dedicated, and outstanding service to AIAA forums, technical committees, student teams, outreach groups, rocketry organizations, and aerospace communities leading to numerous student-led recognitions.Elliott is a UC Foundation Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He serves as primary Faculty Advisor for the UTC Racing Mocs, SAE Chapter, and the UTC Rocket Mocs, roles where he has guided teams that have won national placement in collegiate competitions and set a world record in amateur rocketry. He is an active member of the AIAA Solid Rockets Technical Committee and Hybrid Rockets Technical Committee chair and technical discipline chair.
  • David C. FlemingDavid C. Fleming, University of Michigan
    For sustained service to the Cape Canaveral Section and Florida Institute of Technology Student Branch through continued participation, council leadership, and unwavering dedication to AIAA’s mission.Fleming earned a B.S. degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park. He served on the faculty of the Florida Institute of Technology for 28 years, including a three-year term as department head. Fleming was faculty adviser of the AIAA Florida Tech Student Branch for over 25 years. Currently, he serves as Lecturer at the University of Michigan.
  • Aaron L. Harcrow Jr.Aaron L. Harcrow Jr., No Box Innovations
    For over 30 years of outstanding and sustained service to the Atlanta Section and Region II, contributing to the success of the Section.Harcrow joined AIAA as a student member in 1981 and regards his 42-plus-years membership as a learning experience in the many ways to volunteer for AIAA, for which there appears to be no end in sight! In addition to volunteering for AIAA, Harcrow has developed multidisciplinary skills in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, project management, innovative design, product development, CAD/CAM/CNC, computer programming, and teaching undergraduate engineering courses. He holds one USPTO patent.
  • Christopher J. PestakChristopher J. Pestak, HX5, LLC
    For dedicated service to AIAA and the field of aerospace for over 40 years, and holding significant leadership positions within AIAA.Pestak is Program Manager of the Glenn Engineering and Research Support (GEARS) contract for HX5, LLC. He manages 350 staff supporting NASA Glenn Research Center performing wide-ranging work in space and aeronautics. Spaceflight systems have been a primary focus of his 42-year career. Pestak holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Industrial Engineering, both from Cleveland State University. He is an AIAA Fellow.
  • Robert W. PitzRobert W. Pitz, Vanderbilt University
    For over three decades of distinguished and continuous service to AIAA, especially in national leadership roles involving publication, honors, ethics, and technical committee activities.Pitz has mechanical engineering degrees from Purdue University (B.S.) and UC Berkeley (M.S. and Ph.D.). After five years at GE Research, he joined Vanderbilt University where he is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and served as Department Chair (1998–2017). He won the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award (1987) and AIAA Best Paper Award in Propellants & Combustion (1996). Pitz is an AIAA Fellow. He also is a Fellow of ASME and the Combustion Institute.

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 2022 Premier Award Winners

Aerospace’s Best and Brightest to be Honored at AIAA Awards Gala

February 1, 2022 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2022 recipients of its most prestigious awards, the AIAA Premier Awards, recognizing the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace, whose outstanding contributions merit the highest accolades.

Presentation of the 2022 AIAA Premier Awards and recognition of the Institute’s Class of 2022 Honorary Fellows and Fellows will take place at the AIAA Awards Gala, Wednesday, 27 April, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, DC. Tickets are available now.

“Congratulations to our premier award winners,” said AIAA President Basil Hassan. “We are inspired by their hard work, skill, and achievements, and we thank them for their dedication to the aerospace industry. AIAA is committed to ensuring that aerospace professionals are recognized and celebrated for their achievements, innovations, and discoveries that make the world safer, more connected, more accessible, and more prosperous.”

The winners are:

AIAA Public Service Award – Lori B. Garver, Earthrise Alliance

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award – Peretz P. Friedmann, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

AIAA Distinguished Service Award – David A. Throckmorton, National Institute of Aerospace

AIAA International Cooperation Award – Dominique Collin, Safran Group (retired)

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award – Paul R. Gradl, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award – Kyle T. Alfriend, Texas A&M University

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award – Michael P. Snyder, Redwire Space

Award Citations

AIAA Public Service Award
The award honors a person who has demonstrated sustained and visible support for aviation and space goals.

  • Lori B. Garver, Earthrise Alliance, honored “For sustained leadership in the arenas of public, private, and commercial aviation and aerospace research, development, technology transition, and mentorship.”

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 Aeronautical Sciences in 1932.

  • Peretz P. Friedmann, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, honored “For inventing on-blade control for vibration reduction in rotorcraft and developing aerothermoelastic scaling laws facilitating hypersonic vehicle wind tunnel testing and design.”

AIAA Distinguished Service Award
AIAA recognizes an individual member who has provided distinguished service to the Institute over a period of years.

  • David A. Throckmorton, National Institute of Aerospace, honored “For over three decades of leadership and exemplary service to AIAA at the section and national level.”

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.

  • Dominique Collin, Safran Group (retired), honored “For sustained leadership in building international collaborations on noise and emissions reduction strategies for subsonic transport aircraft.”

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.

  • Paul R. Gradl, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, recognized “For exceptional engineering and technical innovation developing metal additive manufacturing techniques, advanced materials, and large-scale techniques for rocket components while proactively promoting technology transfer.”

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.

  • Kyle T. Alfriend, Texas A&M University, honored “For extraordinary contributions and advancements in the fields of orbital mechanics and space situational awareness.”

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.

  • Michael P. Snyder, Redwire Space, honored “For outstanding and notable contributions to advance in-space additive manufacturing to ensure safer, sustainable spaceflight missions and manufacturing industrial products to benefit Earth.”

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, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2022 International Student Conference Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 21, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the undergraduate, team, and graduate winners of the 2022 International Student Conference, held during the 2022 AIAA SciTech Forum, San Diego, 3–7 January.

Sixteen technical paper first-place finalists from all seven 2021 AIAA Regional Student Conferences presented their research papers related to aeronautics and astronautics. A volunteer panel of AIAA members reviewed their technical content and clarity of communication.

At the conclusion of the event, the AIAA Foundation awarded $1,000 cash prizes to each category’s first-place winners. All participants’ papers will be published as part of the 2022 AIAA SciTech Forum proceedings.

2022 AIAA International Student Conference Winners

  • Meaghan Munro, Monash UniversityUndergraduate Category
    1st Place – Meaghan Munro, Monash University, “Novel Optical Diagnostics for the Study of Shock Separation in Rocket Nozzles”
  • Brandon White, Oklahoma State UniversityMaster’s Category
    1st Place – Brandon White, Oklahoma State University, “Preliminary Adaptation of Speech Source Localization Algorithm for Reduced Bandwidth of Interest in Tonadic Infrasound Signals”
  • Luis Pabon Madrid, Polina Verkhovodova, Malcom Tisdale, Isabella Dula, Kaila Coimbra, Tanmay Gupta, Leah Soldner, Rithvik Musuku, and Soon-Jo Chung, California Institute of TechnologyTeam Category
    1st Place – Luis Pabon Madrid, Polina Verkhovodova, Malcom Tisdale, Jules Penot, Isabella Dula, Kaila Coimbra, Tanmay Gupta, Leah Soldner, Rithvik Musuku, and Soon-Jo Chung, California Institute of Technology, “Design of a Modular and Orientable Electrodynamic Shield for Lunar Dust Mitigation”

The International Student Conference is an invitation-only student conference where first-place winners from each of the previous year’s AIAA Regional Student Conferences present their winning papers. Since 2018, Lockheed Martin Corporation’s generous donation to the AIAA Foundation has supported the International Student Conference and sponsored student attendees who presented their papers.

Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, APR, [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 Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

University of New South Wales Canberra Hosts 2023 AIAA Region VII Student Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 7, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Region VII Student Conference, held 27–28 November at the University of New South Wales Canberra and online.

Attendees presented 39 papers and represented 19 universities from 11 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Students presented papers in three categories: undergraduate, masters, and high school. Their presentations were evaluated by expe­rienced aerospace professionals. Additionally, the papers will be published by AIAA and available on Aerospace Research Center (ARC) in January 2024.

For the undergraduate and masters categories, first-place winners received a cash prize of $500 and an invitation to participate in the International Student Conference held during the 2024 AIAA SciTech Forum, 8–12 January 2024. Second-place winners received a cash prize of $300 and third-place winners received $250. The high school student winners received $100 for first place, $75 for second place, and $50 for third place.

AIAA student conferences are an opportunity for students to present and publish their work in front or their peers and members of the industry. Each of the AIAA seven regions host one conference each year. The Regional Student Conferences for Regions I-VI will take place in Spring 2024.

Lockheed Martin is the generous sponsor of all seven of the AIAA Student Conferences. Additionally, special thanks to the University of New South Wales Canberra, the Sydney Section, the judges, Professor Graham Wild, Professor Charlie Hoke, Tjasa Boh Whiteman, and Region VII Director Cees Bil for coordinat­ing the conference.

2023 AIAA Region VII Student Conference Paper Winners

High School Category

  • 1st Place: Cheney Wu and Nate Osikowicz, Cranbrook Schools, Bloomfield Hills, MI, “Exploration of Tensegrity Applications in Airfoil Designs”
  • 2nd Place: Baldwin Chen, American International School of Dhaka, Bangladesh, “Regression Rates of Non-liquefying Fuels in a Hybrid Rocket Engine at Atmospheric Pressure”
  • 3rd Place: Zhishan Lu, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, MA, “The Development and Application of Air-launch Technology”

Undergraduate Category

  • 1st Place: Georgia Warren, University of New South Wales Canberra, Australia, “Development and Testing of a Stereo Photogrammetry System for Multi-Axis Optical Tracking of Free-Flight Models”
  • 2nd Place: Alexandra Stewart and Graham Wild, University of New South Wales Canberra, Australia, “A Historical Analysis of Military Action against Civilian Aircraft”
  • 3rd Place: Johnny Chen and KC Wong, University of Sydney, Australia, “Design of a Span Morphing Wing for a Blended Wing Body UAV”

Masters Category

  • 1st Place: Jiwon Lee and Youdan Kim, Seoul National University, South Korea, “NMPC-based Control Deign for Transition Flight of Fixed-Wing VTOL UAV”
  • 2nd Place: Lok Yan Poon, University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia, “Renewable Natural Fibre Reinforcement Development”
  • 3rd Place: Bader Ayran and Abdullah Barakat, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey, “Propulsive Landing of a 6DoF Variable Mass Rocket System using Real-Time Nonlinear Model Predictive Control”

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, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces 2022 Region VII Student Conference Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 16, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Region VII Student Conference, held in November at the University of Adelaide, Australia.

Attendees presented 34 papers and represented 23 universities from 12 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Paraguay, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

AIAA holds conferences in each region for university student members at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This is the first year since the program’s inception that High School Members were invited to present. These conferences are a way for students to present their research and be judged on technical content and presentation skills by AIAA members working in the aerospace industry.

Lockheed Martin is the generous sponsor of all seven of the AIAA Student Conferences. Additionally, special thanks to the University of Adelaide, the Adelaide Section, the judges, Professor Rey Chin, Dr. Patrick Neumann, and AIAA Region VII Director Cees Bil for coordinating the Region VII Student Conference.

2022-Region-VII-Student-Conference-winners1

2022 AIAA Region VII Conference participants | Credit: AIAA Region VII–©

For the undergraduate and masters categories, first-place winners received a cash prize of $500 and an invitation to participate in the AIAA International Student Conference, to be held in conjunction with the 2023 AIAA SciTech Forum in National Harbor, Md., 23–27 January. Second-place winners received a cash prize of $300 and third-place winners received $250. The high school winner received $100.

High School Category
  • “Exploring How the Hybridisation of Laser-Microwave Hybrid Wireless Power Transfer System (LMHWPTS) has Increased Efficiency in Comparison to the Two Commonly Established Traditional Models,” ShivNaveed Raina, Scholars International Academy (United Arab Emirates)
Undergraduate Category
  • 1st Place – “Symmetry-Enforced Coherent Structure Background Oriented Schlieren,” Daniel Smith, Monash University (Australia)
  • 2nd Place – “Neural Network based Model-Predictive Upset Recovery Control in Real-Time,” Omar Mourad, University of Stuttgart (Germany)
  • 3rd Place Tie: “Enhancing 2-Component – 2-Diminsional Particle Image Velocimetry Using Physics-Informed Deep Learning,” Michael Pangestu, Monash Uniarge tversity (Australia)
  • 3rd Place Tie: “Enhancing Large Eddy Simulation Sub-grid Scale Closure Model Estimation Using Convolutional Neural Networks,” Kevin Liu, Monash University (Australia)
Masters Category
  • 1st Place – “Reinforcement Learning Based Linear Quadratic Regulator for the Control of a Quadcopter,” Vishal Kashyap, Queen Mary University of London (United Kingdom)
  • 2nd Place – “Magnetic Disturbance Analysis of Spacecraft using Electromagnetic Thrusters,” Celine Jane, Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand)
  • 3rd Place – “Designing an Automated Barking Drone to Detect and Repulse Cattle in Real World,” Aaron Sew, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Australia)

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, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces Winners of Prestigious Zarem Graduate Student Awards for Distinguished Achievement in Aeronautics and Astronautics

September 5, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the Zarem Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Achievement:

    • Stephen Monroe, Clarkson University, won the aeronautics award for his paper, “Parallel Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) Studies of the Performance of ONR Waterjet AxWJ-2.” Monroe will present his paper at the 2024 International Congress of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS) in Florence, Italy, 9-13 September 2024.

 

  • Quentin Roberts, University of Washington, won the astronautics award for his paper, “Investigation of Pre-Ignition Propellant Mixing in Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine.” Roberts will present his paper at the 2023 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Baku, Azerbaijan, 2-6 October 2023.

The winners will receive their awards at the 2024 AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando, Florida, 8–12 January 2024. This award was established by AIAA Honorary Fellow Abe Zarem, founder and managing director of Frontier Associates, to annually recognize graduate students in aeronautics and astronautics who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship in their field.

    • Stephen Monroe, Clarkson University, Aeronautics Award
      Stephen-Moore-2023Stephen Monroe just completed his first year as an M.S. student in Mechanical Engineering at Clarkson University. He received his B.S. from Clarkson University in 2022. In his senior year, Monroe began learning CFD algorithms and HPC in the research group of Professor Chunlei Liang. During the first year of graduate study, Monroe conducted URANS studies of an ONR waterjet propulsion unit on parallel computers. He also is performing large eddy simulations of the same propulsion system to examine finer flow structures. Monroe is determined to become a skillful computational fluid dynamicist in large eddy simulations using an open-source code before completing his M.S. program. While uncertain about his future in academia, Monroe intends on using the skills he has developed to become a proficient propulsion system designer.“Coming into the Graduate School, I only intended on achieving an M.S. degree. Having been recognized for my hard work by the Abe Zarem award, not only has my passion for research been rejuvenated, but my consideration of furthering my education has as well,” said Monroe.Cr-Chuniei-Liang-2023Monroe’s faculty advisor, Chunlei Liang, is Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Clarkson University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of London in 2005. Liang is an ASME Fellow and an AIAA Associate Fellow.
    • Quentin Roberts, University of Washington, Astronautics Award
      Quentin-Roberts-2023Quentin Roberts is an M.S. student at the University of Washington studying aeronautics and astronautics with a concentration in fluids. His research is on injector mixing in rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs). Roberts will start work in fall 2023 as a propulsion analyst at Blue Origin.                       “Receiving this award will allow me to greatly expand my horizons in the world of astronautics by not only providing an opportunity to learn about what research the international community is working on, but also an opportunity to present my own research to an international audience,” said Roberts.
    • Dr-Carl-KnowlenRoberts’ faculty advisor, Carl Knowlen, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Washington in 1983 and 1985, respectively. He continued with his graduate research on ram accelerators at the UW and completed his Ph.D. program in 1991. Dr. Knowlen then accepted a Postdoctoral Research Associate position with the UW Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and has been teaching AA Department courses on a regular basis since 2002.

For more information on the Abe M. Zarem Graduate Awards for Distinguished Achievement, please contact Michael Lagana.

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 Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Announces Recipients of 2025 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 28, 2025 – Reston, Va. –  The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship. The four $10,000 awards go to the following high school seniors:

  • Farrah BerryFarrah Berry from Midlothian, Virginia
    Currently attending Trinity Episcopal School
  • Kazi Afra SaiaraKazi Afra Saiara from Fairfax, Virginia
    Currently attending Chantilly High School
  • Logan SpeightLogan Speight from Greensboro, North Carolina
    Currently attending James B. Dudley High School
  • Sowmya VenkateshSowmya Venkatesh from Pleasanton, California
    Currently attending Amador Valley High School

Read their full profiles on the AIAA website. They will be recognized during the AIAA Awards Gala on Wednesday, 30 April, at Grand Hyatt Washington, Washington, DC. Tickets for the event are available now.

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 pleased to honor the memory of aviation pioneer Roger W. Kahn. His enthusiasm for aviation nearly 100 years ago will remain relevant in the next 100 years of innovation. The scholarship that bears his name will support four more bright minds driving the next technology breakthroughs in aerospace,” 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 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, 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
Click images to see larger versions.

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 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:

VERY SMALL

  • 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:

VERY SMALL

  • 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:

VERY SMALL

  • 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:

VERY SMALL

  • 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:

VERY SMALL

  • 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:

VERY SMALL:

  • 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 Announces 2024 Region VII Student Conference Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 5, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Region VII Student Conference, held 25–26 November at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia, and online.

Attendees presented 46 papers and represented 20 universities. The conference had a strong international presence with students from 11 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Papers presented at the conference will be published by AIAA and available on Aerospace Research Center (ARC) in January 2025.

“We are thrilled to see our student members in action during the Region VII Student Conference. It’s vital for university students to gain practical experience presenting their research findings and receiving valuable feedback from aerospace professionals,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “We look forward to seeing these students shape the future of aerospace!”

For the undergraduate, masters, and undergraduate team categories, first-place winners received a cash prize of $500 and an invitation to participate in the International Student Conference during the 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum, 6–10 January, Orlando, Florida. Second-place winners received a cash prize of $300 and third-place received $250. The high school students received $100 for first place, $75 for second place, and $50 for third place.

AIAA student conferences give students an opportunity to present and publish their work in front or their peers and members of the industry. The AIAA Foundation sponsors student conferences. All of the AIAA seven regions host a conference each year. The Regional Student Conferences for Regions I-VI will take place in spring 2025.

2024 AIAA Region VII Student Conference Paper Winners

High School Category

  • 1st Place: Anay Ashwin, Haileybury College, Australia, “Venna Regolith Sample Acquisition Device – A Novel Proof of Concept for Lunar Rovers”
  • 2nd Place: Henri Kim, Seoul Foreign School, South Korea, “Effects of Boeing 767 Winglet Types on Flight Efficiency: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach”
  • 3rd Place: Cheney Wu and Nate Osikowicz, Cranbook Schools, United States, “An Airfoil Tensegrity Design: Concept, Algorithm Development, and Programming Implementation”

Undergraduate Category

  • 1st Place: Said Mouhaiche and Anne Bettens, University of Sydney, Australia, “Lazily Reformulating Design Optimization as a Classification Problem”
  • 2nd Place: Leon Phillips and Daniel Edgington-Mitchell, Monash University, Australia, “Investigating the Influence of Separate Propellant Streams in Rotating-Detonation Engine Injectors”
  • 3rd Place: Thomas Finley and Daniel Edgington-Mitchell, Monash University, Australia, “Modelling and Schlieren Analysis of Shock Wave Reflections Over a Turbine Cascade”

Masters Category

  • 1st Place: Zhen Hong Chai and Tulasi Parashar, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, “Performance Insights into Applied-Field Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters with the Princeton AF-MPD Database”
  • 2nd Place: Shiva Jogu and Karan Das, Amity University, India, “Mitigating Shock Wave Challenges through Secondary Recirculation in Mixed Compression Supersonic Air Intake”
  • 3rd Place: Serika Yokoyama and Kikuko Miyata, Meijo University, Japan, “Discussion on Autonomous Sensor Data Selection Method for Planetary Rover Localization and its Verification”

Team Category

  • 1st Place: Hardit Saini, Milcha Masresha, Andrews Agyei, Raima Rahman, Omar Abdi, Aamna Abbasi, Imad Foughali, and Eldad Avital, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom, “Small Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Aerodynamic-Structural Design for Improved Performance Using Gurney Flaps”
  • 2nd Place: Asif Hasnayeen, Md Redwan Iqbal, Farhan Syeed, Morsalin Sheikh, and Gp Capt A N Somanna, Military Institute of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, “Construction of a Small Fixed Wing UAV for Surveillance”
  • 3rd Place: Lisa Dsouza, Adithya Vijay, Pranay Agrawal, Ullas AJ, Katkam Naveen, Anurag Kumar Jha, and NK Gahlot, Amity University, India, “Numerical Analysis of Pintle Nozzle Geometry Optimization for Improved Thrust in Rocket Engines”

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.