Aerospace Engineering Honors Outstanding Students

5/15/2014 Susan Mumm, Media Specialist

Springtime is awards time for Aerospace Engineering students.

Written by Susan Mumm, Media Specialist

Department Head Philippe Geubelle with Jeremy G. Morton
Department Head Philippe Geubelle with Jeremy G. Morton
Department Head Philippe Geubelle with Jeremy G. Morton
Brendon M. Leeker with Adjunct Prof. David L. Carroll
Brendon M. Leeker with Adjunct Prof. David L. Carroll
Brendon M. Leeker with Adjunct Prof. David L. Carroll
AE recognized several of the Department’s undergraduate and graduate students this spring with awards for their scholastic achievement and other contributions.

AIAA Scholastic Achievement Award, to the senior graduating in May 2014 with the highest class GPA —Jeremy G. Morton, Bull Valley, IL

H.S. Stillwell Memorial Award, to students showing outstanding scholastic achievement and contributions in extracurricular activities — Brian J. Gardas, Chicago, IL, and Brendon M. Leeker, Eureka, MO

The H.S. Stillwell Memorial Award was established in honor of Professor H.S. (Shel) Stillwell. At the age of 27, Professor Stillwell founded the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Illinois in 1944. He served as department head at Illinois for 32 years. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, he served as Head of the Aeronautical Engineering Department at the University of Kansas prior to coming to Illinois. Professor Stillwell was influential in the design of the first ramjet-powered missile and was highly respected for his contributions to aerospace engineering education.

Min-Yee Deng with Associate Prof. Timothy Bretl
Min-Yee Deng with Associate Prof. Timothy Bretl
Min-Yee Deng with Associate Prof. Timothy Bretl
H.S.
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold with Brian J. Gardas
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold with Brian J. Gardas
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold with Brian J. Gardas
Stillwell Problem-Solving Scholarship
, to a junior-level student majoring in aerospace engineering who exhibits exemplary problem-solving skills — Min-Yee Deng, Cleveland, OH

This scholarship was set up by a generous alumnus as a tribute to H.S. Stillwell and the role he played as a mentor to students.

Robert W. McCloy Memorial Award, to a junior or first-semester senior student in recognition of outstanding academic performance —David R. Brandyberry, Mahomet, IL, and David S. Knourek, Mokena, IL

Professor McCloy 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.

Department Head Philippe Geubelle with David R. Brandyberry
Department Head Philippe Geubelle with David R. Brandyberry
Department Head Philippe Geubelle with David R. Brandyberry
Dale M
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold with Sarah C. Barrett
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold with Sarah C. Barrett
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold with Sarah C. Barrett
argerum Memorial Award
, to the AE undergraduate who exemplifies outstanding leadership qualities by participation in departmental extracurricular activities — Sarah C. Barrett, Orland Park, IL

Dale Margerum was a 1979 graduate who died in an accident the summer after graduation. He was very involved in extracurricular activities.

Jo Ann Haynes Platt & Daniel Wall Platt Memorial Award, to the AE sophomore, junior or senior female undergraduate James Scholar and/or Chancellor’s Scholar studying aerospace engineering — Melanie A. Ciancio, Villa Park, IL

Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold and Jacob N. Denton
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold and Jacob N. Denton
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold and Jacob N. Denton
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold and Melanie A. Ciancio
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold and Melanie A. Ciancio
Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold and Melanie A. Ciancio
Lee H. Sentman III Scholarship, presented annually to an Aerospace undergraduate student based on academic achievement – Jacob N. Denton, St. Elmo, IL

AE Boeing Scholarships, one-year awards for an incoming freshman based on outstanding academic performance – Margaret O. Smith, Downers Grove, IL

Illinois Space Grant Scholarships, awarded by the NASA Illinois Space Grant Consortium to entering and continuing undergraduate students based on academic performance — Min-Yee Deng, Cleveland, OH, and Braven C. Leung, Glenview, IL

Roger A. Strehlow Memorial Award, to a graduate student in recognition of outstanding research accomplishment — Phillip J. Ansell, York, PA; Mohith Manjunath, Bangalore, India; and Ravi Kumar Tumkur Revannasiddaiah, Framingham, MA

Braven C. Leung, Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold and Mee-Yee Deng
Braven C. Leung, Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold and Mee-Yee Deng
Braven C. Leung, Undergraduate Program Coordinator Laura Gerhold and Mee-Yee Deng
Phillip J. Ansell and Department Head Philippe Geubelle
Phillip J. Ansell and Department Head Philippe Geubelle
Phillip J. Ansell and Department Head Philippe Geubelle
The award is presented annually to honor Professor Strehlow, who joined the aero faculty in 1961. His background was in chemistry, and he was an acknowledged expert in the field of detonations and explosions. He also made significant contributions toward the understanding of the structure, stability, and extinction of laminar premixed flames. He was an early advocate of microgravity combustion research and successfully characterized the extinction and flammability states of flames under microgravity conditions. Professor Strehlow was the first AIAA Fellow in the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

Faculty Outstanding Graduate Award, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the Department’s teaching and/or research missions —Owen T. Kingstedt, Plymouth, MN

Kenneth Lee Herrick Memorial Award, presented annually to a graduate student in recognition of outstanding research and academic performance —Abhishek Gupta, Patna, India

Prof. John Lambros with Owen T. Kingstedt
Prof. John Lambros with Owen T. Kingstedt
Prof. John Lambros with Owen T. Kingstedt

Prof. Tamer Basar (ECE) with Abhishek Gupta and Gupta's wife, Priyanka Aggarwal
Prof. Tamer Basar (ECE) with Abhishek Gupta and Gupta's wife, Priyanka Aggarwal
Prof. Tamer Basar (ECE) with Abhishek Gupta and Gupta's wife, Priyanka Aggarwal

AE Alumni Advisory Board Fellowship, presented annually to a graduate student in recognition of outstanding research, academic performance, and research accomplishments —Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, Mumbai, India

AE Block Grant Fellowships, provided by the University of Illinois Graduate College Block Grant program to provide flexible fellowship funding. AE uses the funds exclusively to improve the diversity of AE’s graduate program —Bindu B. Jagannatha, Bangalore, India; Berangere Doll, La Colle-sur-Loup, France; and Asha-Dee N. Celestine, San Fernando, CA

Illinois Space Grant Fellowship, presented to entering and continuing graduate students by the NASA Illinois Space Grant Consortium and based on academic and research performance —Cristine M. Weisner, Higganum, CT

Assistant Prof. Soon-Jo Chung with Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay
Assistant Prof. Soon-Jo Chung with Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay
Assistant Prof. Soon-Jo Chung with Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay

From left, Berangere Doll, Asha-Dee N. Celestine, Prof. John Lambros, and Bindu B. Jagannatha
From left, Berangere Doll, Asha-Dee N. Celestine, Prof. John Lambros, and Bindu B. Jagannatha
From left, Berangere Doll, Asha-Dee N. Celestine, Prof. John Lambros, and Bindu B. Jagannatha

H.S. Stillwell Fellowships, presented annually based on merit to income graduate students —Robyn L. Macdonald of Urbana, IL; Andrew B. McKenzie, Irvine, CA; Xichen Shi, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; and Eliot J. Wycoff, Urbana, IL

AE students also recently have garnered awards from several other organizations.

Bronze Tablet Awards, recognizing high academic achievement and awarded to the top 3 percent of undergraduate students across the U of I campus. The names of this select group of students are inscribed on bronze tablets displayed on the first floor of the Main Library ­—Jeremy G. Morton, Bull Valley, IL

Andrew B. McKenzie, Prof. John Lambros, and Robyn L. Macdonald
Andrew B. McKenzie, Prof. John Lambros, and Robyn L. Macdonald
Andrew B. McKenzie, Prof. John Lambros, and Robyn L. Macdonald

College of Engineering Stanley H. Pierce Award; Engineering Council Knights of St. Patrick; Ernst & Young Innovation Award; Class of 1941 Memorial Scholarship —Akash A. Shah, Mumbai, India

College of Engineering William R. Schowalter Award —Bentic J. Sebastian, Dubai, India

College of Engineering William L. and Elizabeth A. Ackerman Scholarship —Daniel N. Noboa Hidalgo, Morton Grove, IL

College of Engineering Boeing Engineering Diversity Scholarship —Alberto Davila, Jr., Crest Hill, IL; Martin Meraz, Chicago, IL; Michael S. Miller, Forsyth, IL; and Guillermo Perez, Jr., Chicago, IL

College of Engineering Boeing National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) Scholarship —Michael L. Espinal, Itasca, IL

College of Engineering Schlader Memorial Scholarship in Engineering —Katherine A. McDonald, Plainfield, IL

Knights of Dabrowski Crusade for Education Scholarship —Robert M. Cachro, Lake Zurich, IL

2013-14 Computational Science and Engineering Undergraduate Award —Christian J. Howard, Crystal Lake, IL

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2012-13 Undergraduate Team Space Design Competition:

  • 1st Place, SolPower —Brian M. Levine, Chicago, IL; Cory R. Cameron, San Diego, CA; Philip W. Freidin, Champaign, IL; Izan Peris, Marti, Spain; Michael C. Reindl, Algonquin, IL; Jason C. Swenson, Barrington, IL; John M. Teuber, Algonquin, IL; Ernest Company Vallet, Spain
  • 2nd Place, Future Power Systems —Laura K. Richardson, Kirkwood, MO; James N. Broches, Bartlett, IL; Yolanda M. Dionicio-Rodriguez, Evanston, IL; Kevin M. Skender, Champaign,IL; Tomasz S. Slota, Champaign, IL; Nicholas L. Virgilio, Park Ridge, IL; Ariel N. Wilhelmsen, Morris, IL; Josh S. Zimmerman, Urbana, IL

Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage (RASC-AL), 3rd Place — Jason B. Allen, Arlington Heights, IL; Braven C. Leung, Glenview, IL; Stanley Chan, Solon, OH; Jobin K. Kokkat, Chatham, IL; Timothy R. Lanham, Wood River, IL; Julia Hong Liu, Mounds View, MN; Christopher G. Lorenz, Roselle, IL; Anthony H.J. Park, Bolingbrook, IL; Dayne L. Rogers, Rockford, IL

College of Engineering Support for Under-Represented Groups in Engineering (SURGE) Fellowships —Rebecca Foust, Columbia, MD, and Christopher A. Herrera, North Bergen, NJ

University of Illinois Beckman Institute Graduate Fellowship —Michael T. Odarczenko, Arlington Heights, IL

University of Illinois Graduate College Fellowship —Christopher A. Herrera, North Bergen, NJ

Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation Graduate Fellowship —Michael R. Dorothy, Creston, IA

National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA) Space Technology Research Fellowship —Daniel J. Morgan, Lafayette, IN

National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship —Andy D. Borum, High Point, NC

NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Program —HongAn Mary Nguyen, Wyoming, MI

National Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Research Competition, 2nd Place —Joseph F. Gonzalez, Chicago, IL

2013 Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship —Gustavo Eidji Camarinha Fujiwara, Sau Paulo, Brazil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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This story was published May 15, 2014.