AIAA Foundation Making an Impact: AIAA Announces Winners of Prestigious Zarem Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Achievement in Astronautics

L to R: Mohammed Abir Mahdi, Shafi Romeo, and Wei Zhao. Credit: AIAA

AIAA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Zarem Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Achievement: Mohammed Abir Mahdi and Shafi Romeo, Oklahoma State University, won the astronautics award for their paper, “Convolutional Neural Network and Homogenization based Hybrid Approach for Lattice Structures.” Mahdi and Romeo will present their paper at the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan, Italy, 14–18 October 2024.

The winners will receive their awards at the 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando, Florida, 6–10 January 2025. 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.

Mohammed Abir Mahdi, Oklahoma State University, Astronautics Award (Co-Recipient)
Mahdi is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Purdue University’s School of Mechanical Engineering. He recently completed his master’s in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Oklahoma State University. Mahdi’s research focuses on composite manufacturing and the design of lattice structures. He holds a bachelor’s in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Prior to his graduate studies, Mahdi worked as a Lecturer at MAS Marine Academy in Bangladesh, gaining expertise in naval structure design and analysis. He is passionate about teaching and inspiring students in the field of science and technology.
“Receiving this award makes the nights, days, and sacrifices for this novel work feel truly worthwhile,” said Mahdi.

Shafi Romeo, Oklahoma State University, Astronautics Award (Co-Recipient)
Romeo is pursuing his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma State University. His research interest lies in developing, analyzing, and applying physics-constrained deep learning models to tackle intricate scientific challenges within fluid dynamics. Currently, his focus is on the innovative realm of Physics-Guided Multifidelity Learning for characterizing the dynamic stability of atmospheric reentry vehicles.
“Receiving the Abe M. Zarem Graduate Award is a tremendous honor for me. This award recognizes my hard work and boosts my confidence and enthusiasm for future endeavors,” said Romeo.

Faculty Advisor: Wei Zhao is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech. Zhao’s research focuses on lightweight aerospace structures and materials created using advanced robotic automated fiber placement and 3D printing technologies. He is an AIAA Senior Member and a member of the AIAA Structures Technical Committee.
“As an advisor, witnessing the growth and development of my graduate students is extremely rewarding. From hands-on teaching to seeing them gradually conduct their work independently, this process not only advances our field but also helps shape the next generation of innovators and leaders. Their successes and discoveries drive the progression of aerospace engineering, particularly in next-generation fuel-efficient airplane design, and their unique perspectives and creativity continually inspire me. Advising graduate students is not just about sharing knowledge; it’s about fostering a collaborative environment where both the mentor and mentee learn and grow together, ultimately pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve,” Zhao said.

For more information on the Abe M. Zarem Graduate Awards for Distinguished Achievement, please contact Michael Lagana, at michaell@aiaa.org or 703.264.7503.

AIAA Foundation Fall AIAA Foundation News for K-12 Educators

2025 AIAA Trailblazing STEM Educator Award Applications Open
The Trailblazing STEM Educator Award, sponsored by AIAA and Challenger Center, celebrates three K-12 educators who go above and beyond to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The award winners receive $5,000 for the educator, $5,000 for the educator’s school or organization, a trip to Washington, DC, to be honored at the AIAA Awards Gala, and free access to Challenger Center’s STEM education programs. Details at aiaa.org/trailblazingstemeducatoraward. Applications Close: 1 December 2024.

AIAA Roger W. Kahn Scholarship
AIAA will award four $10,000 scholarships to current high school seniors who plan to study aerospace engineering at a college or university in fall 2025. AIAA will also provide an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC, to attend the AIAA Awards Gala, where we recognize top aerospace professionals and contributors to the aerospace community. Each student also will be provided with a mentor from AIAA’s professional members to help guide the students to achieve a career in aerospace. Details of the eligibility and requirements can be found at aiaa.org/kahnscholarship. Applications Close: 31 December 2024.

AIAA Launches New Mary W. Jackson Undergraduate Scholarship
AIAA has launched a new undergraduate scholarship honoring the late NASA mathematician and aerospace engineer Mary W. Jackson, which will first be awarded in summer 2025. The $10,000 Mary W. Jackson Scholarship was created to provide even greater access to opportunity for the best students studying the aerospace sciences and will be available to students studying at institutions in the United States or its territories. Applications will be open until 31 January 2025. Students from underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply. “Honoring pioneering NASA scientist and aerospace engineer Mary W. Jackson through a scholarship is not just a tribute to her pioneering spirit, but a commitment to empowering the next generation of aerospace engineers. By investing in today’s students, we’re ensuring that her legacy inspires innovation and excellence in aerospace for years to come,” Laura McGill, AIAA Foundation Chair.

AIAA Announces 2025 Design/Build/Fly Mission and Draft Rules
Teams are invited to participate in the 29th annual Design/Build/Fly (DBF) competition, 10–13 April 2025, in Tucson, AZ. The objective for the mission is a balanced design possessing good demonstrated flight handling qualities, and practical and affordable manufacturing requirements while providing a high vehicle performance. This year the teams also are required to show both release AND autonomous guidance of a vehicle to a grid on the ground to maximize mission points. The 2025 rules can be found at aiaa.org/dbf. Team rosters and proposals can be submitted starting 15 October. Submissions must be received by 31 October.

AIAA Announcements AIAA New Standards Projects Approved and Call for Experts

The AIAA Standards Steering Committee (SSC) recently approved a new project, AIAA S-159, Best Practices, Functional Requirements, and Norms for In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) Power and Data Interfaces. This document provides best practices, functional requirements, and norms associated with the power and data interfaces between a Servicing Spacecraft and a Client Space Object. The intent is to provide guidance to developers and operators of both the Servicing Spacecraft and the Client Space Object.

The AIAA SSC also approved a revision project, AIAA S-102.0.1A, Capability-Based Mission Assurance Program – General Requirements (revision of ANSI/AIAA S-102.0.1-2019). This document provides the basis for cost-effectively planning and applying SR&QA analyses to products. The resource requirements, planning, and empirical and analytical processes are established.

If you wish to participate as an expert on the committee or if you have questions, please contact Nick Tongson.

AIAA Committees A Recap of the 2024 SAT OC Activities

(Left) From left to right: Janet Grondin (Stellar Solutions, Inc.), Shelli Brunswick (SB Global LLC), Amir S. Gohardani (Springs of Dreams Corporation), Melanie Stricklan (Space Foundation), and Aine Nakai (Space Systems Command, U.S. Space Force). (Right) Holly Pascal. Credit: AIAA

By Amir S. Gohardani, SAT OC Chair

The AIAA Society and Aerospace Technology Outreach Committee (SAT OC) has actively advanced many activities this year. In May, the committee gathered to discuss several topics including committee representation at 2024 ASCEND held in Las Vegas, 30 July–1 August. During the ASCEND event, I was delighted to meet up with many SAT OC members and event participants. I represented SAT OC by serving as a member of the 2024 Diverse Dozen, where alongside my fellow cohort members, I provided thought leadership about space safety, security, and sustainability. As the ASCEND Deputy Technical Program Chair for Space and Sustainability, I also co-chaired two sessions – Space Activity I & II – which addressed some of the most impactful space-related topics. I am grateful to my co-chairs, John Carsten and Paula do Vale Pereira, for their valuable leadership and contributions on the sessions. One of the thought-provoking ASCEND sessions I experienced was Talent Strategies to Fuel the Aerospace Pipeline, which comprised discussions about the the U.S. aerospace workforce. Moderated by Janet Grondin, this panel of experts provided their perspectives on aerospace talent strategies, and I was proud to be a part of it.

To increase these type of SAT OC activities, the committee would like to fill multiple open positions that include: 1) membership lead for SAT OC members, 2) collaboration lead for other AIAA domains/organizations, 3) chairpersons for chairing conference sessions, 4) SAT OC webmaster, and 5) reviewers of conference abstracts. To serve in any of these positions, interested individuals need to initially be SAT OC members and then express their interest by sending an email to amirsgohardani.aiaa@gmail.com.

Diversity Corner
Name: Holly Pascal, AIAA Young Professional Member
Notable Contributions: Holly Pascal believes that the convergence of empowerment and innovation can lead to solving many of humanity’s most complex challenges. She envisions a world where more individuals are empowered with the tools and knowledge to drive transformative change, not just in their lives but in the lives of others. This philosophy inspired her to write The College to Dream Job Blueprint and found The Women’s Aerospace Network (WAN), the largest women’s aerospace community in America, which connects, amplifies, and inspires a universal passion for aerospace. Pascal holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering, a Master’s in Artificial Intelligence, and is a graduate of Wharton’s Executive Program in Leadership and Management.
Potential Societal Impact of Contributions: As a NASA Headquarters Systems Engineer, she is dedicated to advancing humanity and improving lives through aerospace advancements. Pascal strives to leave a legacy of a positive impact on the world.

*In collaboration with the AIAA Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, the AIAA Society and Aerospace Technology Outreach Committee is highlighting prominent members of the wider aerospace community in the Diversity Corner.

Section News STEM Outreach for Poquoson Library Kids and Teens Programs

AIAA Hampton Roads Section (HRS) at STEM outreach events. Credit: Karen Berger

By Karen Berger, Hampton Roads Section

AIAA Hampton Roads Section (HRS) spent time in July at the Poquoson Library for outreach events with their Kids and Teens programs. In mid-July, HRS volunteers made spectroscopes with teen students (and their parents). The students learned about what a spectroscope is, how they are used and then got to use the ones they created to look at various light sources. This was a new activity for the section and was led by Josh Weisberger, with help from Karen Berger, Johnny Davami, Brian Mason, and Drew Turbeville.

In late July, HRS volunteers helped the elementary-age students build two different kinds of gliders. They built foam gliders, learning about control surfaces and lift and drag and then got to iterate on their designs to try to improve them. They built circular paper airplanes as an additional type of design. Some of the students even combined their designs to try to improve their vehicles. Throughout the activity, students went outside to test their designs. This activity was led by Karen Berger, with help from Brian Mason, Drew Turbeville, and Josh Weisberger.

AIAA Student Branches AIAA UTD Student Branch Kicks Off Fall Semester

UTD Student Branch kicks off the fall semester. Credit: AIAA UTD

AIAA University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Student Branch Chair Jack Finnegan with the other student branch officers kicked off the fall semester with a great introduction to AIAA and mixer for 330 students to discuss all the different project opportunities at UTD’s student branch. After an introduction to each of the different projects the student branch works on, from the Rocket Team, Finance, and Marketing to Design-Build-Fly (DBF) and the new rover section (Aerobotics), students were able to meet, discuss, and sign up with the different project teams. The UTD Student Branch will be hosting the AIAA Region IV Student Conference, 28–29 March 2025.

Section News Northern Ohio Section Holds Distinguished Lecture

David Avanesian, AIAA Distinguished Lecture, at with Cleveland State University’s Washkewicz College of Engineering. Credit: AIAA NOS

In September, the AIAA Northern Ohio Section had a great turnout for its Distinguished Lecture with David Avanesian from the Power and Propulsion Division at NASA Glenn Research Center. Avanesian returned to his alma mater, Cleveland State University’s Washkewicz College of Engineering, to present “NASA’s First All Electric Airplane: X-57 Lessons Learned.” He examined the motivation and challenges behind the X-57’s development and shared how the value of the airplane lies in advancing the U.S. ability to design, test, and certify electric power trains, which will enable new markets.

Obituary AIAA Associate Fellow Salim Died in March 2024

Abbas Salim. Credit: Salim Family

Abbas Salim, a retired Principal Engineer and Fellow at Lockheed Martin and a respected consultant in the aerospace industry, died on 29 March 2024. He was 79 years old.

Salim graduated with a BSEE degree from Raipur in India and an MSEE from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. His almost-50-year career progressively spanned many corporations.

Salim started work with General Dynamics, before moving to Martin Marietta, where he worked on developing the world’s largest terrestrial solar power park in Riyadh, SA. At Fairchild Space and Defense Systems, he contributed to the development of FS-100 lightweight power systems for satellites, and NASA’s Earth Observatory System. At GE Aerospace and Lockheed Martin, as a senior staff engineer, he led power system development of a common satellite bus A2100, Space-Based Radar, Milstar, and LMT’s proprietary HDI-based power switching and Actuation Module for NASA’s New Millennium Program.

After his retirement, Salim continued to attend Space Power Conferences, hosted by AIAA in the United States and ESA in Europe, where he participated as an author, paper reviewer, organizer, and session chair in space power areas. He was also a regular attendee of the International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC). Salim was a longtime member of the AIAA Aerospace Power Systems Technical Committee, where he continued to be a valued mentor to young engineers.

Obituary AIAA Associate Fellow Ingold Died in July 2024

Norman L. Ingold. Credit: Ingold Family

Norman L. Ingold died on 21 July 2024. He was 90 years old.

Ingold studied at the University of Wisconsin, trained at the Army Language School in Monterey, CA, and served in the Korean War. Fluent in seven languages (English, Spanish, German, Norwegian, Japanese, Russian, and a little French), he studied geology, anthropology, physics (including both quantum mechanics and relativity), mathematics, linguistics, and chemistry). He earned his M.S. in Physics at American University. Ingold was undertaking a Physics Ph.D. at the University of Arizona when he received the offer from Holloman Air Force Base in 1965.

With over 50 years’ practical expertise, one of the projects he worked on was increasing the accuracy of the guidance systems for the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) from 200 miles to 3 miles. After 31 years, Ingold retired as the Chief Scientist for the Central Inertial and GPS Test Facility, the 746th Test Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base in 1996. He authored ten symposium papers and helped pioneer sled testing—sending a rocket on a sled down a track at beyond the speed of sound—including innovating reverse velocity sled tests. In 2009, he was asked back as a subject-matter expert and continued consulting for the remainder of his life. Ingold was a member of AIAA for over 50 years.

Obituary AIAA Associate Fellow Conway Died in August 2024

Bruce A. Conway died on 7 August 2024. He was 81 years old.

Conway graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, from George Washington University with a Master of Science degree, from Harvard University School of Business with an advanced certificate in management development, and from Old Dominion University with a Ph.D.

Conway began his career at NASA in 1961 as a co-op student in the 16-ft wind tunnel and retired in January 1998 as a member of the Senior Executive Service in the Internal Operations Group. He worked in the Space Station Research Group, the Applied Materials and Physics Division, the Flight Dynamics and Control Division, the Flight Electronic Division and the Instrument Research Division (as Chief). As a young research engineer, Conway developed an experiment that flew on Skylab 3 called the Limb Motion Measurement System. Among his many awards and achievements was the selection for career development at NASA Headquarters.

Conway enjoyed a second career in education for 45 years with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in their Worldwide Campus. Hired as an adjunct professor in 1977 to teach algebra at the Langley AFB Education Center, he traveled the world teaching in ERAU education centers. His dream of having a School of Engineering established was finally realized in 2022 when he was named the founding Associate Dean. He retired in June 2023 as Professor Emeritus.

An AIAA Associate Fellow, Conway was involved as a member of the Sensor Systems and Information Fusion Technical Committee, as well as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics.

AIAA Announces 2023–2024 Section Award Winners

AIAA has announced its 2023–2024 section award winners. The section awards honor particularly notable achievements made by members of AIAA’s 57 sections around the world in a range of activities that help fulfill the Institute’s mission. The local sections completed a total of 937 activities this year, each offering technical programs and activities tailored to local aerospace professionals, students, and educators. 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 2023–31 May 2024.

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: Adelaide; Second Place: Delaware; Third Place: Melbourne

SMALL: First Place: Palm Beach; Second Place (tie): Central Coast of California; Second Place (tie): Northwest Florida; Third Place: Wichita

MEDIUM: First Place: Illinois; Second Place: Greater Philadelphia; Third Place: Antelope Valley

LARGE: First Place: North Texas; Second Place: Northern Ohio; Third Place: St. Louis

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: Point Lobos, Jae-Jun Kim (Naval Postgraduate School), website editor; Second Place: Adelaide, Patrick Neumann (Neumann Space), section chair; Third Place: Delaware, Zachary Gent (Northrop Grumman Defense Systems), membership officer

SMALL: First Place: Long Island, David Paris, section chair; Second Place: Central Coast of California, Matthew Tanner (United States Space Force), communications officer; Third Place: Northwest Florida, Micah Reese, secretary

MEDIUM: First Place: Illinois, Kenneth Brezinsky (University of Illinois at Chicago), secretary; Laura Villafañe Roca (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), section chair; Second Place: Carolina, John Blanton (Classic Engineering LLC), section chair; Third Place: Phoenix, Aiden Bramer (Northrop Grumman Space Systems), section chair

LARGE: First Place: North Texas, James Sergeant, section chair; Second Place: Northern Ohio, Edmond Wong (NASA Glenn Research Center), communications officer; Third Place: San Gabriel Valley, Sahangi Dassanayake (California Institute of Technology), communications officer

VERY LARGE: First Place: Los Angeles, Kenneth Lui (Ken’s Consulting), section chair; Ian Clavio (Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems), university education officer; Second Place: Hampton Roads (tie), Soumyo Dutta (NASA Langley Research Center), newsletter editor; Second Place: New England (tie), Aaryan Nagarkatti (Westboro HS Rocketry Association), social media officer; Shreyas Hegde (Pratt & Whitney), section chair; Third Place: Dayton-Cincinnati (tie), Oliver Leembruggen (Sumaria Systems), public policy officer; Third Place: Houston (tie), Joel Godinez (Harris County), website 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: Adelaide, Patrick Neumann (Neumann Space), section chair; Second Place: Delaware, Zachary Gent (Northrop Grumman Defense Systems), membership officer; Third Place: Melbourne, Bryan Aherne (consultant), membership officer; Jisoo Jeon (Boeing Aerostructures Australia); Julia Low (RMIT University), communications officer

SMALL: First Place: Wichita, Mary Drouin (Spirit AeroSystems Inc), membership officer; Second Place: Central Coast of California, Matthew Tanner (United States Space Force), membership officer; Third Place: Northwest Florida, Angela Diggs (Air Force Research Laboratory), vice chair; Humberto Ramos (University of Florida), technical officer; Judith Sherrill, education officer; Crystal Pasiliao (Airforce SEEK EAGLE Office), STEM K-12 officer; Sunny Narayanan (Florida State University), young professionals officer

MEDIUM: First Place: Illinois, Andrew Touvannas (Woodward Inc.), honors and awards officer; David Carroll (CU Aerospace LLC), treasurer; Second Place: Greater Philadelphia, Jonathan Moore (Lockheed Martin Space Systems), vice chair; Third Place: Tucson, Andrew Alexander, membership officer

LARGE: First Place: North Texas, James Sergeant, section chair; Second Place: Northern Ohio, Jonah Sachs-Wetstone (NASA Glenn Research Center), membership officer; Third Place: St. Louis, Alexander Friedman (The Boeing Company), membership officer

VERY LARGE: First Place: Hampton Roads, Richard Winski (NASA Langley Research Center), membership officer; Julia Cline (NASA Langley Research Center), membership officer; Second Place: Los Angeles, Sherry Stukes, membership officer; Third Place: New England, Charlie Wilson, advisor; Shreyas Hegde (Pratt & Whitney), section chair

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: Adelaide, Patrick Neumann (Neumann Space), section chair; Second Place: Delaware, Di Ena Davis, public policy officer; Third Place: Point Lobos, Giovanni Minelli (Naval Postgraduate School), section chair

SMALL: First Place: Palm Beach, Shawna Christenson (Aerospace and Innovation Academy); Kevin Simmons (BLUECUBE Aerospace), public policy officers; Second Place: Northwest Florida, Michael Kelton (U.S. Air Force), public policy officer
Third Place (tie): Long Island, George Kyriakou (BotFactory Inc.), public policy officer; Third Place (tie): Twin Cities, Cristin Finnigan (Northrop Grumman Space Systems), public policy officer

MEDIUM: First Place: Greater Philadelphia, Joi Spraggins (Legacy Bridges STEM Academy Inc.), diversity and inclusion officer; Second Place: Illinois, Mordechai Levin, public policy officer

LARGE: First Place: Northern Ohio, Michael Heil (ML Heil Consulting LLC), technical officer; Second Place: North Texas, James Sergeant, section chair; Third Place: San Diego, Mike Curtin, public policy officer

VERY LARGE: First Place: Hampton Roads, Steven Dunn (Jacobs Technology Inc), public policy officer; Second Place: Los Angeles, Daniel Scalese (University of Southern California), public policy officer; Third Place: Houston, Svetlana Hanson (Metecs), programs 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: Wisconsin, Todd Treichel (Sierra Space), section chair; Second Place: Adelaide, Rey Chin (University of Adelaide), university liaison officer; Third Place: Delaware, Nicholas Rogers (Northrop Grumman Defense Systems), STEM K-12 officer

SMALL: First Place: Palm Beach, Kevin Simmons (BLUECUBE Aerospace); Shawna Christenson (Aerospace and Innovation Academy), STEM K-12 officers; Second Place: Northwest Florida, Crystal Pasiliao (Air Force SEEK EAGLE Office), STEM K-12 officer; Third Place: Central Coast of California, Thomas Stevens (Space Launch Delta 30), STEM K-12 officer

MEDIUM: First Place: Illinois, Pamela Greyer (NASA Aeronautics Education Laboratory), STEM K-12 officer; Second Place: Greater Philadelphia, Christopher Reynolds (Lockheed Martin Space Systems), STEM K-12 officer; Third Place: Antelope Valley, Robert Jensen (Sierra Lobo Inc), STEM K-12 officer

LARGE: First Place: Cape Canaveral, Melissa Sleeper (Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy), STEM K-12 officer; Second Place: St. Louis, Jackie Blumer (Greenville Jr. High School), advisor; Third Place: Orange County, Binay Pandey, STEM K-12 officer

VERY LARGE: First Place: Los Angeles, Arpie Ovsepyan (Herbert Hoover High School), STEM K-12 officer; Ian Clavio (Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems), STEM K-12 officer; Second Place: Rocky Mountain, Trip Carter (Lockheed Martin Space Systems), education officer; Third Place: Hampton Roads, Karen Berger (NASA Langley Research Center), STEM K-12 officer; Amanda Chou (Air Force Office of Scientific Research), STEM K-12 officer

The Section-Student Branch Partnership Award recognizes the most effective and innovative collaboration between the professional section members and student branch members.

VERY SMALL: First Place: Adelaide, Rey Chin (University of Adelaide), university liaison officer; Michael Evans (University of South Australia), university liaison; Second Place: Melbourne, Kaustubh Dongre (Boeing), student branch liaison; Third Place (tie): Wisconsin, Todd Treichel (Sierra Space), section chair; Third Place (tie): Point Lobos, Giovanni Minelli (Navel Post Graduate School), chair

SMALL: First Place (tie): Palm Beach, Kevin Simmons (BLUECUBE Aerospace), STEM K-12 officer; First Place (tie) Northwest Florida, John Fay (Torch Technologies), education officer; Second Place: Wichita, Linda Kliment (Wichita State University), education officer; Third Place: Central Coast of California, Kyle Bezio (California Polytechnic State University), student branch liaison; Cassandra Herrera (California Polytechnic State University), student branch liaison

MEDIUM: First Place: Illinois, Laura Villafañe Roca (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), section chair; Matthew Brotnow (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), student branch chair; Second Place: Tucson, John Allen (University of Arizona), student branch liaison; Third Place: Greater Philadelphia, Jonathan Moore (Lockheed Martin Space Systems), vice chair

LARGE: First Place: North Texas, Jason Daugherty (University of Texas at Arlington), student branch president; Kevin Debord (University of Texas at Dallas), student branch president; Second Place: St. Louis, Mark Kammeyer (Boeing Test & Evaluation) education officer; Third Place: Northern Ohio, Aaron Hensley (NASA Glenn Research Center), university liaison officer

VERY LARGE: First Place: New England, Charlie Wilson, advisor; Shreyas Hegde (Pratt & Whitney), section chair; James Wetzel (Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.), young professionals officer; Anoop Kiran, student branch liaison; Second Place: Rocky Mountain, Lynnane George (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs), outreach officer; Third Place: National Capital, Steven Brunetto (Booz Allen Hamilton), vice chair of operations

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 section, regional, or national level. The winners are:

VERY SMALL: First Place: Delaware, Taylor Coleman, young professionals officer; Second Place: Adelaide, Daniel Kilonzo (University of Adelaide), vice chair; Third Place: Melbourne, Kaja Antlej (Deakin University), section chair

SMALL: First Place: Twin Cities, Kristen Gerzina (Northrop Grumman Defense Systems), section chair; Second Place: Palm Beach, Karl Roush (Georgia Institute of Technology), young professionals officer; Third Place: Northwest Florida, Sunny Narayanan (Florida State University), young professionals officer

MEDIUM: First Place: Greater Philadelphia, Jamil Grant (NDI Engineering), section chair; Second Place: Antelope Valley, Joseph Piotrowski (NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center), young professionals officer; Third Place: Tucson: John Allen, young professionals officer

LARGE: First Place: North Texas, James Sergeant, section chair; Second Place: San Diego, Laine D’Augustine (The MITRE Corporation), council member; Third Place: Northern Ohio, Halle Buescher (NASA Glenn Research Center), vice chair; Santino Bianco (NASA Glenn Research Center), professional development chair

VERY LARGE: First Place: Los Angeles, Luis Cuevas (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics), young professional officer; Second Place: New England, James Wetzel (Charles Stark Draper Laboratory), young professionals officer; Shreyas Hegde (Pratt & Whitney), section chair; Hiroaki Endo (Schenck USA Corporation Test Devices by Schenck), past chair and advisor; Third Place: Hampton Roads, Kyle Thompson (NASA Langley Research Center); Drew Turbeville (NASA Langley Research Center), young professional officers

The Outstanding Activity Award allows the Institute to acknowledge sections that held an outstanding activity deserving of additional recognition. The winners are:

VERY SMALL: Melbourne, AIAA Melbourne Section Monthly Gatherings. In 2023, the AIAA Melbourne Section organized five hybrid meetings at RMIT University City Campus and online. Each gathering was dedicated to a different topic, presented by AIAA members or external speakers with vibrant Q&A sessions, and attendees both in person and online. The speakers came both from academia (professors and Ph.D. Candidates), industry (international corporations and SMEs), and NGOs. After every event, networking continued at a local restaurant. The following speakers presented at the events: Grace Mei Ing Loke, It Smells Different Up Here – Food Odor Perception and Virtual Reality for Space Applications; Graham Dorrington, RMIT University, Why Support the Return to the Moon?, and Joseph Kenrick, Lunar Outpost Oceania, the Australian Space Agency Trailblazer Lunar Rover Project and the ELO2 Consortium; Alan Sherwood, Senior Structural Analyst, Boeing Aerostructures Australia, The Strange Case of the Phantom Flaperon Flutter; Colin Campbell, General Manager, Applied Fasteners and Tooling (AFT), Our Journey Into Space; and Art Cotterell, University of Adelaide, From Space Debris to Space Resources: Contemporary Issues in Space Law.

Southern New Jersey, Southern New Jersey Professional Societies Awards Banquet. The Southern New Jersey Professional Societies Annual Awards Banquet is held in partnership with other professional societies, including the AIAA Southern New Jersey Section, IEEE, and NSBE to recognize the accomplishments of the talented aviation professionals in South Jersey. The 30 November 2023 awards ceremony included a keynote address by Bruce Webb of Airbus Helicopters. His speech on “Flying Blind” highlighted how humans may not perceive all the information available and how this contributes to aviation accidents and what can be done to mitigate this hazard. Award nominees were recognized, and awards were presented for Outstanding Engineer or Scientist, Outstanding Aviation Research, Outstanding Technical Leadership, Outstanding Contributions to Test or ATC, and Outstanding Young Professionals.

Wisconsin, Rocket Science for Future Engineers. The AIAA Wisconsin Section has leveraged the talent of its members to provide a variety of outreach opportunities for precollege-aged students, including hands-on demonstrations, visual aids, and real-life spaceflight examples. Bringing precollege-aged students face-to-face with space-related science, designed hardware, technology, and its potential benefits increases interest in aerospace and space-related fields, inspiring students to pursue a STEM degree at university, followed by an aerospace career. The goal of the Advanced Rocket Science for Future Aerospace Engineers special initiative was to reach an underserved demographic using tools from AIAA and NASA’s directorate for STEM outreach. In spring 2024 the section served a total of 16 students consisting of 4 females, 12 males, and 50% of this group were African American.

Delaware, Joint Speaker Exchange with Mid-Atlantic Section. The AIAA Delaware and Mid-Atlantic sections hosted a speaker exchange, where each section sponsored a speaker to present a topic at a dinner meeting for members of both sections to join. It was hosted at a location central to both membership areas.

SMALL: Palm Beach, SmallSat Education Conference. The SmallSat Education Conference, held at NASA Kennedy Space Center, is a dynamic event that brings together aerospace professionals and students to network, share knowledge, and collaborate on innovative projects. This conference serves as a pivotal platform for fostering connections between seasoned industry experts and the next generation of aerospace engineers and scientists. Participants at the conference engage in a variety of activities, including keynote speeches from leading aerospace professionals, technical workshops, and panel discussions. These sessions cover a wide range of topics related to small satellite (SmallSat) technology, offering insights into the latest advancements, challenges, and future trends in the field. Students have the unique opportunity to present their own SmallSat projects, receiving feedback and mentorship from experienced professionals. This interaction not only enhances their technical skills but also provides valuable industry exposure and career guidance. The SmallSat Education Conference is a cornerstone event that nurtures talent, encourages collaboration, and drives the future of aerospace technology.

Central Coast of California, 39th Annual Central Coast STEM Exposition. The 39th Annual Central Coast STEM Expo, held 3-4 May at Lompoc High School, supported 172 projects and over 200 students with the aid of over 60 judges and volunteers from across Vandenberg Space Force Base. Over $1,700 in cash and plaques sponsored by local professional organizations and companies were awarded to the top scoring students at the awards reception attended by over 300 students, parents, teachers, and administrators. On Saturday, 4 May, two local 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. 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 successful team effort between the base and the Lompoc Unified School District!

Northern New Jersey, Careers in Aviation. On 29 January 2024, the AIAA Northern New Jersey Section participated in the Careers in Aviation event for high school students, sponsored by the Morris Hills Regional District Aviation Program. 200 students and parents attended the event, where approximately 19 organizations set up tables and displays to discuss various career opportunities within the aviation industry. The AIAA Northern New Jersey Section had volunteers available to discuss aerospace, AIAA benefits, and what could students consider doing at the different phases of their education, and at least 50 students visited to engage in conversations. The section provided trinkets including Career in Aerospace brochures, student membership flyers, stress balls, pencils, stickers, and magnet clips. Volunteers also met up with a few professionals that they have previously engaged with at other events. The Morris Hills Regional District Aviation Program is in its infancy, and this was their first career event.

Sydney, Canberra Airport Open Day. Canberra Airport Open Day is a community event that brings about 35,000 people over a day, mostly families. This year they had an incredible number of teenagers and tweens coming and talking to our members, three of whom are university professors and one hypersonics Ph.D. student. The professors talked to the students and gave them quality advice on their studies and future, engaging their parents as well. The section counts it as an outstanding event on the grounds of K-12 STEM Engagement, young people reached with career and study advice, and membership outreach with educators.

MEDIUM: Illinois, AIAA UIUC Freshman Conference. The AIAA UIUC Freshman Conference, serves multiple purposes as it welcomes new students to the exciting world of aerospace engineering (AE); the AIAA organization, its values, its purpose and its history; the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus and resources; and the cohort of students that are part of the world of aerospace engineering. It is an essential event for student member recruiting. During this daylong event, students participate in talks by faculty and senior AE students, all members of AIAA, and are given lab tours and engage in hands-on activities, airplane competitions, CAD workshop, and tech project demos. Social events are also part of the schedule, which concludes with a movie night. This is a beautiful day, the first of four years, in which freshman students are given a sense of belonging to the community they chose to embrace, and AIAA is the host organization. The AIAA Illinois Section Chair, also UIUC faculty, is always one of the keynote speakers. In the last years, this event has evolved from a small student-led reception to an event receiving a large amount of time and attention from the section chair, assisting with logistics and ensuring the core values of AIAA are transmitted and the new cohort of students get the best possible presenters during the event.

Antelope Valley, E-Week History Symposium. During this AIAA Antelope Valley event, four speakers presented on relevant history topics: Robert Wetherall – F-16 XL Story; Brian Duddy – Origins of the F-16 Program; James Goodall – An Inside Look at the Blackbird, and Cam Martin – Skyrocketing to Mach Two. The networking aspect of this event is one of its best qualities, where everyone can meet new people and hang around with the speakers during and after the event. This symposium was held at the local Antelope Valley Community College, who has a long-standing relationship with the section that synergies our events and supports their students.

LARGE: Northern Ohio, Young Astronauts Day. On 18 November 2023, the 29th Annual Young Astronaut Day (YAD) event was held at the Cleveland Public Library’s Main Library in downtown Cleveland. Over 150 1st–8th grade students along with over 60 chaperones participated in the Northern Ohio Section’s STEM event. NASA’s Orion European Service Module (ESM) Integration Office Deputy Manager, Katie Oriti, gave an inspiring keynote address on the Artemis I mission and her personal experiences with the program, including serving as a Mission Evaluation Room (MER) Manager for the mission. She shared footage of the ESM flying around the moon, shots of Snoopy bouncing around in the crew cabin and a final video of the crew module skipping off the atmosphere and safely landing in the ocean. As she explained what it takes to fly the ESM, she used interactive demonstration to teach concepts such as atmosphere skipping, thrust, and gravity led orbits. During the afternoon, the students jumped right into the activity competition inspired by this year’s theme, “Powering Through, Earth to Space.” The students participated in two different grade categories: Pilots (1st–4th grade) and Mission Specialists (5th–8th grade). The pilot activities were: Remote Sensing, Landing on the Moon, and Safe Landing. The mission specialist activities were: Powered and Pumped, Lunar Rovers! Best Wheels!, and Lunar Prospector. The students also had the opportunity to learn about the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Middle School rocket team and their effort toward competing in the NASA Student Launch Initiative. The activities taught the students different science, engineering, and math concepts that relate to real-world applications in the aviation and space industries. YAD was a great success due to the tireless efforts of over 50 volunteers, including many regional engineers, students from local universities, the Akronauts, the Fighting Unicorns, and the IHM Rocket Team.

North Texas, Moon Day STEM Event at Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas, TX. The unique STEM Moon Day program seeks to promote and educate young people about aerospace and AIAA. The hangar museum displayed the Apollo 7 command module, a Southwest Airline 737, Vought heritage aircraft, and numerous other exhibits and activities. For Moon Day, the museum hosted STEM activities across the hangar floor and notable aerospace speakers in their auditorium. The section brought a real F-35 sim (courtesy of Lockheed Martin) to Moon Day that was staffed by volunteers and F-35 test pilots. Also featured was their own STEM invention, the Flight Test Range, where kids designed and built their own paper airplanes with the assistance of our members, flew them on the test range to measure time of flight and distance, then computed average flight speed and wrote the computations on their airplane that they took home with them. F-35 test pilots explained the F-35 flying qualities and systems to the kids flying the simulator with parents taking lots of pictures. While waiting in line for the sim, our members engaged the parents and kids in discussions about aerospace careers, education, and opportunities available to them. Boys and girls from different areas and backgrounds attended from all over North Texas and interacted directly with our AIAA volunteers. A strong effort was made to have young women and diverse representation at each station during the event to connect directly with the kids. Role models that look similar to the kids themselves are important to help them visualize an aerospace career. The Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE) & Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) are co-sponsors/participants.

St. Louis, F/A-18 E1: From the Future of Naval Aviation to Nearly Forgotten Relic. This dinner meeting at the St. Louis National Museum of Transportation (NMoT) was a celebration of the historic achievements of the F/A-18 E/F flight test program, as well as the recent addition of the F/A-18 E1 flight test aircraft to museum. Attendees enjoyed the museum displays both inside the hall and outside on the museum grounds where the subject aircraft is sited. The 130 attendees heard a talk by Tim Bischoff, a 40-year Boeing veteran who worked directly on the E1 aircraft as a flight test engineer in the early days of the program. Bischoff described the F/A-18 E/F program genesis and his role in flight testing the E1 aircraft. He explained the significance of the contributions made by the E1 test program to the decades-long success of the overall program, described the fate of the jet once its airframe life was consumed, and narrated the persistent effort necessary to rescue the historic aircraft from destruction that resulted in its display at the NMoT. Many in the audience had personal involvement with the F/A-18 E/F project.

Cape Canaveral, SmallSat Education Conference. In its second year, this two-day event brings together educators, administrators, and students at all levels from K-12 to university for a series of technical presentations, hands-on workshops, exhibitors, an art contest, and more, all centered around the theme of CubeSats and related technologies that enable students and others to access space. The event was held in the Astronaut Memorial Foundation Center for Space Education on the grounds of the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center. The keynote speaker was Jose Núñez, NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) University Partnerships & Small Satellite Capabilities Manager. Numerous exhibitors were present, including NASA’s Launch Services Program. Seven workshops were held with topics such as “Introduction to Machine Learning” and “Creating a High Altitude Balloon Program.” In conjunction with this event, a separate dinner meeting was held at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Sands Space History Center featuring Northrop Grumman’s Jonathan W. Arenberg, Chief Engineer for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Personnel from other sections also contributed to the organization of the event.

Orange County, 20th Annual SoCal Aerospace Systems and Technology (ASAT) Conference. The objective of the AIAA Southern California Aerospace Systems and Technology (SoCal ASAT) Conference is to bring together seasoned and new engineers, researchers, leaders, managers, academia and students, and provide a forum to exchange new ideas, review achievements, and chart a new course for aerospace in the local area. The AIAA Orange County (OC) Section highlighted their activities during the past year and honored a few section members in a year-in-review presentation during the included luncheon. Members and nonmembers attended, and a pitch was made for nonmembers to join AIAA during the OC Section presentation, as well as an appeal to members for participation on the council and/or section activities. This year’s conference was co-sponsored by the San Gabriel Valley Section, the UCI Student Chapter, and Caltech. With attendance of 114 and 21 presentations in 6 sessions, along with a morning and afternoon keynote, it was hugely successful. Attendance ranged from high school (2 high school students made excellent presentations) and university students to retired professionals and everything in-between.

VERY LARGE: Rocky Mountain, 11th Annual AIAA Rocky Mountain Section Annual Technical Symposium (ATS). On 21–22 September 2023, the AIAA Rocky Mountain Section Annual Technical Symposium was held at Colorado State University (CSU). Thanks to the tremendous amount of resources provided by CSU, this was our biggest ATS with 530 participants. There were three keynotes, 14 panel discussions, 80+ speakers, and a student poster session, followed by an evening reception and silent auction to support the AIAA CSU Student Branch. Lt. Gen. John E. Shaw, Deputy Commander, U.S. Space Command, was our lunch keynote speaker, and Lockheed Martin’s Director of Technology Acceleration, Colonel Bob Behnken, former NASA astronaut and one of the first SpaceX Crewed Dragon astronauts, was also a keynote. Our over 25 sponsors hosted students at a Meet the Employers event to learn about internships, full-time employment opportunities, organizational culture, fascinating company projects, and anything else you want to know. An award ceremony was also held.

Los Angeles, AIAA LA-LV University Student Branches Mini-Conference 2024. On 23 February, the AIAA LA-LV University Student Branches Mini-Conference 2024 was held. This conference included exciting activities and projects with the AIAA LA-LV universities/student branches, as well as other professionals to help, inspire, guide them, and network together. Students were able to learn more about their student branches and other students involved in aerospace. There was also a Q&A session with a panel of professionals to discuss local aerospace industries and school-life balance, work-life balance, transition to professional life, networking, finding a job, extracurriculars, summer experiences. Students also were encouraged to present papers or posters at this mini-conference.

Greater Huntsville, Rocket City QuizBowl. This year 24 teams consisting of 108 students competed for trophies and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place cash prizes of $1000, $750, $500, and $250 at the Rocket City QuizBowl. Teams typically use the funds for travel and registration fees for national tournaments in Chicago and Atlanta, or to defray the cost of study materials. The event was hosted jointly by the AIAA Greater Huntsville Section (GHS) and the AIAA University of Alabama in Huntsville Student Branch. Tournament volunteers included members of AIAA GHS and the AIAA UAH Student Branch, as well as volunteers from local institutions and schools. In addition to bringing the students together with members of the Huntsville aerospace community, the tournament provided an opportunity to remind those planning to major in STEM fields related to aeronautics or astronautics to apply for AIAA GHS’s Robert L. Sackheim Engineering, Science, & Math Scholarship and also take advantage of AIAA’s free high school student membership.

New England, AIAA New England Honors & Awards Night. The AIAA New England Section organized an Honors & Awards ceremony in May 2024 to recognize our AIAA members’ achievements and service to the aeronautics, astronautics, and aerospace industry. Held on 24 May, the Honors and Awards program recognized outstanding recipients in several categories, followed by dinner and a networking reception. In addition to recognizing distinguished AIAA members and their service, the event also provided young professionals and students with an opportunity to build professional knowledge related to fields, organizations, and roles and mingle with members of the professional community with the hope of attracting new members. The speakers included Mark Maybury, Lockheed Martin, and Steve Smith, Principal Director, Engineering, Draper.