The AIAA Foundation has announced the winners of its 2025 undergraduate scholarships and graduate awards. Through its Foundation and supported by nearly 30,000 members, AIAA awards over $225,000 in academic scholarships and STEM educational grants to support the next generation of aerospace professionals.
Neil Armstrong Graduate Award ($10,000)
Patrick Bailey, University of South Carolina
Bailey is a graduate student at the University of South Carolina, pursuing his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering working on additive manufacturing and repair technology for composite structures. He has interned at Boeing as a liaison engineer for the 787 program and at Lockheed Martin as an optical coating engineer. This past summer, Patrick worked under the Space Dynamics Laboratory on a student development program to help expand satellite research in South Carolina. Patrick has been involved with the AIAA for 5 years and has served as the University of South Carolina’s branch Secretary and President, while conducting educational and student outreach activities.
My goal in life is to help others realize their potential while pushing beyond my own limits. This generous scholarship provides me the ability to pursue this goal for years to come and pay forward the opportunity I have been given.
Orville and Wilbur Wright Graduate Award ($10,000)
Veera Venkata Ram Murali Krishna Rao Muvva, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Muvva is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His research, inspired by avian intelligence, integrates traditional control systems with advanced deep learning techniques to enhance the perceptual and control capabilities of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). His work focuses on UAV-to-UAV tracking, localization in GPS-disrupted environments, and obstacle-aware navigation. He is particularly interested in combining model-based approaches with neural networks to enable robust UAV operation in challenging conditions. Krishna’s contributions have been recognized through publications at AIAA, IEEE, and Springer venues. He was selected as one of the CPS Rising Stars (2024), a recognition sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and University of Virginia. He is also a recipient of the Splinter’s Fellowship and the Chancellor’s Fellowship at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His service activities include serving as the Chair of the IEEE Nebraska Computer Chapter, a technical committee member of the AIAA Uncrewed and Autonomous Systems Integration Committee, and a friend of the AIAA Intelligent Systems Technical Committee.
My inspiration comes from birds, which gracefully navigate complex environments despite numerous challenges. I aspire for our UAVs to achieve that same elegance in flight. On my desk, I keep a reminder of this vision: ‘May our UAVs soar with Avian Grace.’
Dr. Hassan A. Hassan Graduate Award in Aerospace Engineering ($8,000)
Stephen West, North Carolina State University
West is a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University. He holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from North Carolina State University and a M.S. in Aeronautics & Astronautics from Stanford University. Stephen returns to graduate study on sabbatical from his role as a Sr. Astrodynamics and Navigation Engineer at Space Exploration Engineering (SEE) where he supports a variety of lunar and cislunar missions. Prior to SEE, Stephen worked at NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center and Ames Research Center, focusing on formation flying, rendezvous, and proximity operations. Stephen’s current research focuses on multi-body trajectory design techniques with applications to multi-satellite missions. His mission experience includes HelioSwarm, KPLO/Danuri, OSAM-1, Starling, and a range of commercial mission concepts in and beyond cislunar space.
The Dr. Hassan A. Hassan Graduate Award is enabling me to freely explore and define my research area during the first year of my doctoral program. This award is personally significant to me as I was introduced to the study of orbital mechanics by Dr. Hassan at NC State, sparking an interest that shaped my academic and professional pursuits. I am thankful to the AIAA Foundation and the Hassan family for their generous support.
Dr. Hassan A. Hassan Graduate Award in Aerospace Engineering ($8,000)
Andrew Strawn, North Carolina State University
Strawn is a first-year graduate student in aerospace engineering at NC State University. His academic focus is on High-speed aerodynamics, and he is excited to begin research in this area. Andrew is an AIAA member and looks forward to engaging with the aerospace community through both research and professional development.
Being selected for the Hassan Fellowship is an incredible honor. Dr. Hassan’s legacy at NC State and within AIAA set a high standard in aerospace research, and this award will support me as I continue advancing my work in hypersonic flow and experimental design.
Guidance, Navigation and Control Graduate Award ($3,500)
Akshaj “Akku” Kumar, Texas A&M University
Kumar is a current M.S. Aerospace Engineering Student and NSF GRFP Fellow at Texas A&M University under Dr. Moble Benedict. He graduated with his B.S. summa cum laude in 3 years from Texas A&M University in 2024. With Dr. Benedict, he is aiming to advance vertical flight controls by combining advanced computer vision methods with rotorcraft expertise. He is also the founder and CEO of Arrow Analytics, Inc., which currently is contracted to develop the first automatic carry-on luggage sizing system. In his free time, he enjoys visiting national parks, playing in a band, and mountaineering.
People have often asked me, ‘Why work on research? Why start a company? Why not just get a job like everyone else?’ The simplest answer I can give is that I know my heart, and it would never let me focus on anything but the most cutting-edge, riskiest work, and I’m happier every day for it. I think we should all listen to our hearts just a bit more.
Liquid Propulsion TC Graduate Award ($2,500)
Cole Nielsen, Purdue University
Nielsen is a Ph.D. candidate at Purdue University, working toward a degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering under the direction of Dr. Timothee Pourpoint. Cole’s specialties include the development/testing of hypergolic thrusters and cryogenic fluid systems from experimental design to fabrication, propellant handling, and test operations. He hopes that such work will improve the capabilities of orbital vehicles through improved propellant transfer systems, engine throttling, and resilient combustion chamber design.
I am honored to receive this graduate award as a way to fuel the final stretch of my degree. I hope to continue the path of rocket propulsion research started at Purdue University over 75 years ago.
Martin Summerfield Propellants and Combustion Graduate Award ($1,500)
Ari Jain, Georgia Institute of Technology
Jain is a Ph.D. student studying aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech in the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Lab. His research focuses on advancing low-emission combustor concepts through advanced laser diagnostics. He received his BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has had internships at Lawrence Livermore National Lab and NASA focusing on computational work to complement his experimental research. Outside of school ,he is the American Physical Society Forum on Graduate Student Affairs Past-Chair, AIAA Region II Deputy Director for Young Professionals, and GT Aerospace Engineering Graduate Student Association Vice President.
Receiving the Martin Summerfield Award is both an honor and a reminder of the collaborative spirit that drives combustion research. It inspires me to push the boundaries of fuel-flexible, sustainable propulsion systems that will power the future of flight.
John Leland Atwood Graduate Award ($1,250)
Marwa Yacouti, University of Colorado Boulder
Yacouti is a Ph.D. student in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. With a background in civil engineering and master’s degrees from Virginia Tech and École des Ponts ParisTech, she brings a global and interdisciplinary perspective to modeling advanced aerospace materials. Her research combines computational mechanics and machine learning to predict the behavior of composites, polymers, and shape-memory materials in extreme environments. Marwa’s work has been recognized through national and international honors, including the Caltech Trailblazing Young Researcher Award, the Oden Institute Rising Star Award, and the IEEE Women in Services Computing Scholarship. Beyond her research, she is passionate about science communication and recently delivered a TEDx talk inspired by the Apollo 13 mission, exploring how resilience and creative engineering can drive breakthrough solutions.
I am honored to receive the John Leland Atwood Graduate Award. This recognition encourages me to continue advancing aerospace materials through innovative computational methods and motivates me to carry forward the spirit of excellence that Atwood exemplified.
Gordon C. Oates Air Breathing Propulsion Graduate Award ($1,000)
Kaurab Gautam, University of Cincinnati
Gautam is a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Cincinnati. His research focuses on the experimental study of supersonic jet noise reduction using active flow control methods, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ephraim Gutmark. He also has research interests in capillary-driven flows, sloshing flow dynamics, and viscous mixing flows using computational tools. His work aims to develop quieter supersonic air-breathing propulsion systems with minimal impact on their performance. Upon completion of his doctoral degree, he aspires to continue research and innovation in aerospace propulsion and fluid dynamics, contributing to both academia and industries.
I am honored to receive this recognition. It motivates me to keep on pushing the boundary of the propulsion research and to contribute innovations that make the supersonic flight quieter and more efficient.
William T. Piper Graduate Award ($1,000)
Aayush Bhattarai, Auburn University
Bhattarai is a Ph.D. candidate in Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University with over 14 years of combined aeronautical experience in industry and academia. His research centers around aviation safety particularly for general aviation aircraft operating in challenging mountainous terrains. Growing up in Nepal, a country with high rate of aviation accidents, has fueled his dedication to this field. Bhattarai’s work focuses on human factors and performance, aiming to reduce pilot workload and improve situational awareness through innovative, cost-effective display interfaces. He was a founding faculty member who led the initiative to establish Nepal’s first Aerospace Engineering Program. He has also held various leadership positions, including Deputy Head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Institute of Engineering (IOE)-Pulchowk, Tribhuvan University. His research and outreach efforts, including collaboration with the United States Air Force, underscore his commitment to making aviation safer and more accessible globally, especially in resource-limited environment.
The future of aerospace lies in bridging gaps-between cutting-edge technology and its practical, life-saving application, particularly in resource constrained environments. AIAA helps cultivate the pioneering spirit and collaborative platforms essential for developing these impactful solutions, ensuring that advancement in aerospace elevate safety and opportunity across the globe.
Applications for the 2026 scholarships and graduate awards are being accepted
from 15 October to 31 January. Please visit the
AIAA Foundation’s Scholarship and Graduate Awards website for more information.
