AIAA to Present Awards at Propulsion and Energy Forum Written 20 June 2014

June 20, 2014 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will celebrate technical achievements in propulsion and energy systems at a 12:30 p.m. luncheon on July 30 as part of the AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum and Exposition, July 28–30, at the Cleveland Convention Center, Cleveland, Ohio.

The honorees are:

• Ashwani Gupta, AIAA Fellow and distinguished university professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, will receive the AIAA 2014 Air Breathing Propulsion Award. The award is presented for meritorious accomplishments in the arts, sciences, and technology of air breathing propulsion systems. Gupta is being recognized for outstanding contributions to the understanding and development of advanced high intensity combustors for near zero emission high performance air breathing propulsion.


• William E. Lear, AIAA Associate Fellow and associate professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, will receive the AIAA 2014 Energy Systems Award. The award is presented for significant contribution in the broad field of energy systems, specifically as related to the application of engineering sciences and systems engineering to the production, storage, distribution and conservation of energy. Lear is being recognized for distinguished significant contributions in the energy systems field over many years, most notably in distributed generation, direct methanol fuel cells, and combustion.


• Frederick L. Dryer, AIAA Associate Fellow and professor emeritus, senior scholar, mechanical and aerospace engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, will receive the AIAA 2014 Propellants and Combustion Award. The award is presented for outstanding technical contributions to aeronautical or astronautical combustion engineering. Dryer is being recognized for a distinguished record of technical contributions to combustion kinetics, surrogate fuel models, droplet combustion, flow reactors, and fire safety.


• Roger M. Myers, AIAA Fellow and executive director, Advanced In-Space Programs, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Redmond, Washington, will receive the AIAA 2014 Wyld Propulsion Award. The award is presented for outstanding achievement in the development or application of rocket propulsion systems. Myers is being recognized for sustained high-value contributions to propulsion for U.S. and international space systems and services to aerospace propulsion communities.