Carsten Spooner Wins 2015 Joseph Freitag Sr. Award Written 12 November 2015

By Duane Hyland, AIAA Communications (2008-2017)

Carsten Spooner, an apprentice at the Daimler Training School, Stuttgart, Germany, has won the 2015 Joseph Freitag Sr. Award, co-presented by Daimler and the AIAA Foundation. The school’s faculty selected Spooner for the award based on his academic achievements, which included graduating from the program a year early, and his social and leadership qualities.

In addition to his work at Daimler, Spooner has many interests including: running marathons, participating in cross-country bicycling competitions, restoring cars and equipment, playing the piano, volunteering to give sailing lessons and organizing events for younger children, and contributing to his community in many different ways. Spooner also has been accepted to the University of Stuttgart, where he plans to obtain a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Upon completion of his university studies, Spooner intends to apply for a position at Daimler in the R&D field.

Joseph Freitag Sr.’s family and friends created the award upon Freitag’s death to commemorate his commitment to education. It annually recognizes a student attending the Daimler Ausbildung (Education) and Training School in Stuttgart, Germany. Freitag Sr., a graduate of the Daimler School in 1922, became a leader in the field of advanced aircraft instrumentation, flight control, radar and marine stabilization design.