Dan Jensen's service to students, the university, and AIAA recognized

Daniel T. Jensen is receiving the 2024 Harry H. Hilton Dedicated Service Award. Jensen earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace from Illinois in 1988 and his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1990.  He worked for Boeing Commercial Airplanes for six years, then moved to Rolls-Royce in 1995, where he is now the head of engineering for services at Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis.

Being just a two-hour drive from Urbana-Champaign is a convenience for which Jensen has taken full advantage. He comes to campus frequently to meet with students and serve in a variety of capacities.

Perhaps his earliest and longest service to the Department of Aerospace Engineering is as a member and officer of the Aerospace Engineering Alumni Board. He was elected to serve in 2005, was vice president from 2006 to 2008, president for the following two years, and continues to serve on the board.

In 2020, he was asked to join the department’s inclusion, diversity, equity, and access group. In that capacity, Jensen worked with others on the committee to develop a practical checklist for undergraduate students to make sure they are on track to succeed. The checklist suggests activities for each year, such as when to begin searching for a summer internship and attending an affinity conference.

Student success has long been a passion for Jensen. Early on he joined the Student Affairs Advisory Committee, which is now called the Student Affairs Council and chaired the committee from 2015 to 2017.

He has been active in alumni activities, not just at the departmental level, but in his home state of Indiana and university levels. He has been a member of the Indianapolis Illini Club since 2013, president from 2020 to 2022, and currently serves as secretary of the group.

Gayle Spencer, director of the Illinois Leadership Center, has known and worked with Jensen for over 10 years. She said he is one of the most active alumni volunteers for the ILC.

“He has been a coach for many Illinois students through our Certificate Program and our Imprint i-Program,” Spencer said. “His dedication to the students he works with is unparalleled. He is also one of the best advocates for the Center. Dan was instrumental in assisting the ILC to get Rolls-Royce funding to develop and implement our Innovation i-Program.  He has also been a small group facilitator for the Innovation i-Program.

“It is no surprise that Dan would receive the Harry H. Hilton Dedicated Service Award from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Illinois.  There are few people that bleed orange and blue and love their alma mater like Dan Jensen.  His dedication to making Illinois great is remarkable,” she said.

At the university level, Jensen has served on the University of Illinois Alumni Association since 2018, holding a number of positions including digital engagement committee member, external relations committee member, and the current alumni and student engagement committee co-chair.

David Bambrey, president of the University of Illinois Alumni Association praised Jensen’s work on the board.

“Dan’s commitment to service and his alma mater is so valuable to the UIAA in helping to guide us in our mission of engaging over 550,000 University of Illinois alumni,” Bambrey said. “I have had the opportunity to work directly with Dan on a number of projects through his work as co-chair of our Engagement Committee and know that he is a great leader, proud alumnus, and even better person. I am thrilled to learn that he is being honored in this way!”

Jensen is a respected member of the aviation industry as well. During his career, he has worked in aerodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, propulsion installation analysis, engine control systems, project management, technology development, product definition and in-service support. He became a member of AIAA in 1985 when he was an undergrad at Illinois. This year, the AIAA Council of Directors elected him as Speaker of the Council. He will serve a 3-year term beginning in May replacing Allen Arrington from NASA Glenn.

About his history with AIAA, an announcement about his new position as speaker stated that over the years, Jensen has been active in a student branch, professional section, technical committees, and standing committees. He served as chair of the Indiana Section, chair of the Emerging Technologies Committee, director of Region III, chief of the Regional Engagement Activities Division, and a member of the Council of Directors. He has authored and presented a number of AIAA papers and is an AIAA journal co-author. He is an Associate Fellow and a life member.

In 2005, Jensen received a NASA “Turning Goals into Reality” award in 2005, AIAA Special Service Citations in 2006 and 2019, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois Aerospace Engineering Department in 2013, and the Jeffery W. Moss Outstanding Leadership Coach Award from the Illinois Leadership Center in 2016.

The Harry H. Hilton Dedicated Service Award is in honor of Hilton who was a faculty member in the department beginning in 1949. When Jensen was an undergrad in the mid-80s Hilton was in his last couple of years in service as department head. Although Hilton officially retired in 1990, he continued to conduct research, teach graduate courses, and actively serve the department until he passed away in March 2022.