In early October, AIAA connected with enthusiastic students at the 2026 S-STEM Scholars & PI Meeting, hosted by AAAS at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. The conference brought together scholars, principal investigators, and co-principal investigators from active S-STEM awards to build community, share research across STEM fields, and participate in career development.
I am honored to have represented AIAA during STEM Connections Night on 9 October, where professional societies, AAAS programs, and STEM organizations met with students to discuss the value of professional community. The event offered an opportunity to introduce AIAA and explain how belonging to a professional organization can complement students’ academic experiences and help them explore their futures.
On 10–11 October, our exhibit table at the Career and Education Fair welcomed inquisitive students interested in AIAA, aerospace, and the benefits of membership. I encouraged students majoring in computer engineering, chemical engineering, physics, and other areas of study to consider the roles they could play in aerospace. “What you study and the knowledge you develop are your tools” I told them, “You get to decide where to put those tools to work.”
Conversations allowed us to introduce AIAA to students while also reconnecting with current members, including two students from the AIAA Tuskegee University Student Branch. I also had the good luck to run into Jacob White, a University of Maine student who participated in DBF in 2026. Jacob shared his experience with other students, describing not only his participation but also the way the community comes together to support one another. Drawing on his personal experience, he offered a compelling example of the value of getting involved.
For me, the meeting reinforced that introducing students to AIAA is about more than explaining benefits: it is about welcoming them into a community.
Learn more about AIAA membership and the opportunities to get involved at aiaa.org/membership.
