4/29/2020 Debra Levey Larson
Written by Debra Levey Larson
2020 AE student awards for recognize excellence
Each spring the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recognizes undergraduate and graduate students with awards for scholastic achievement and other contributions. Due to the move to all-online classes and the postponement of on-campus activities to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the in-person awards ceremony will be rescheduled.
Below is a list of undergraduate and graduate students who received awards in the 2019-20 academic year.
Undergraduate student departmental awards:
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Scholastic Achievement Award, awarded to the senior graduating with the highest GPA— Weizhuo Wang, Shenzhen, Peoples Republic of China
Dale Margerum Memorial Award, presented to the undergraduate who exemplifies outstanding leadership qualities by participation in departmental extracurricular activities— Emily J. Williams, Plainfield, Illinois
H. Everett Sutter Passion for Flying Scholarship, presented to a junior-level Aerospace Engineering student who exhibits a passion for flying— Nicholas I. Hall, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
H.S. Stillwell Memorial Scholarship, presented in memory of Professor H.S. Stillwell, founder and head of the Dept. of Aerospace Engineering from its inception in 1944 until his death in 1976. The scholarship is presented to an undergraduate student in recognition of scholastic achievement and extracurricular activities— Jacob R. Hawkins, Plainfield, Illinois
H.S. Stillwell Problem Solving Scholarship was established by a generous alumnus as a tribute to H.S. Stillwell and the role he played as a mentor to students. It is given to a junior-level or first-semester senior majoring in aerospace engineering who exhibits exemplary problem-solving skills— Linyi Hou, Brookline, Massachusetts
Robert W. McCloy Memorial Award, presented in memory of Prof. R.W. McCloy, who served on the faculty from 1945 to 1977, and was the first faculty member hired in the new Department of Aeronautical Engineering. He was known for his research and teaching in propulsion and for his pioneering work in jet propulsion. The award is presented to a junior or first-semester senior student in recognition of outstanding academic performance— Marta Cortinovis, Sorisole, Italy
Lee H. Sentman Memorial Scholarship, presented to an aerospace engineering student in recognition of excellent academic performance— David C. Robbins, Carterville, Illinois
Michael W. Miller Aerospace Engineering Innovation Award, was established to promote entrepreneurial ideas in the area of aerospace innovation—David A. Gable, Urbana, Illinois
Roger A. Strehlow Memorial Award, presented to an undergraduate student in recognition of outstanding academic performance— Isabella B. Watters, Lake Forest, Illinois
Engineering Visionary Scholarship recipients:
Alonzo J. Arostegui, Country Club Hills, Illinois
Karissa E. Benjamin, Centralia, Illinois
Sarah N. Erne, Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Blizhaid A. Estrada Reyes, Chicago, Illinois
Amy B. Exposito, Chicago, Illinois
Grace M. Heaton, Wheaton, Illinois
Haley M. James, Middleton, Wisconsin
Aden C. Litwiller, Paxton, Illinois
Isabel M. Mata, Bloomington, Illinois
Luis C. Ortega, Chicago, Illinois
Isaac Pedroza, Melrose Park, Illinois
Michael J. Romero, Bloomington, Illinois
Arturo Saucedo, Aurora, Illinois
Fabian A. Villanueva, Blue Island, Illinois
Isabella B. Watters, Lake Forest, Illinois
Emily J. Williams, Plainfield, Illinois
Engineering Visionary Scholarships are supported by the following:
Rodney L. Burton
Aerospace Engineering Visionary Scholarship Fund
Craig and Annette Bolt
Aerospace Engineering Visionary Scholarship Fund
Class of 1977
Aerospace Engineering Visionary Scholarship Fund
Lembeck/Carmichael
Aerospace Engineering Visionary Scholarship Fund
Scott R. White
Aerospace Engineering Visionary Scholarship Fund
Gisinger
Aerospace Engineering Visionary Scholarship Fund
Additional undergraduate student recognition:
Knights of St. Patrick, Elena D. Kamis, Orchard Park, New York
William R. Schowalter Scholarship Award and Research Support Grant, Vignesh Sella, Calgary, Alberta
Graduate student departmental awards:
Faculty Outstanding Graduate Student Award, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the department’s teaching and/or research missions— Aadhy Sundarajan Parthasarathy
AE Alumni Advisory Board Fellowship, presented annually to a graduate student in recognition of outstanding research, academic performance and research accomplishments— Giusy Falcone
Kenneth Lee Herrick Memorial Award, given to an AE graduate student based on outstanding academic and research performance in the AE department— Soumendu Bagchi
The Preston A. Henne Aerodynamics Fellowship, established to fund a graduate student in the area of aerodynamics— Bryson T. Sullivan
Beatty Fellowship recipients:
Noel C. Brindise
Evan D. Crowe
Collin Foster
Vijeth Hebbar
Connor J. Klarkowski
Lucas B. Heflin
Daniel Steinberg
Sagar K. Vyas
AE Outstanding Graduate Student Fellowship recipients:
Jafar Abbaszadeh Chekan
Renato Bichara Vieira
Jean-Baptiste H. Bouvier
Christopher R. Colletti
Evan D. Crowe
Yue Cui
Collin Foster
Sunho “Sean” Lee
Kevin G. Lohan
Cory Mikida
Nirmal J. Nair
Matthew C. Paliwoda
Saurabh S. Sawant
Aadhy Sundarajan Parthasarathy
Neale A. Van Stralen
Hongrui Zhao
Additional recognitions for aerospace engineering graduate students:
Mavis Memorial Fund Scholarship for Future Faculty Fellows
Sriramya Bhamidipati
Giusy Falcone
Branden M. Kirchner
Saurabh S. Sawant
Maitreyee Sharma Priyadarshini
AIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium
Best Student Presentation and Best Presentation Award—Or D. Dantsker
National Science Foundation Student Poster Research Competition
Best Computational Approach--Suzanne R. Peterson
U.S. Department of Education
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need
Hussein T. Al-Rashdan
Victor A. Azevedo
Alexander B. Faustino
Collin Foster
Matthew P. Jouffray
Matthew C. Paliwoda
Henry X. Varona
James W. Williams
Toyofumi Yamauchi
Nicholas J. Zuiker
Directed Energy Professional Society Scholarship-- Matthew C. Paliwoda
NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship--Christopher T. Lyne
Oak Ridge Affiliated University Journeyman Fellowship--David W. Fellows