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"Department of Aerospace Engineering Graduate Student Awards 2021-2022."
Several aerospace engineering graduate students received awards this year for their academic and research achievements. | Image: Texas A&M Engineering

The graduate program in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University is ranked fifth among public institutions by U.S. News & World Report. Several of the students who make up this program received awards and recognitions this academic year, many of which are highlighted below.

Renee Abbott received the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities Award. This award recognizes graduate students who show significant potential to contribute to NASA's goal of creating innovative new space technologies for the nation's science, exploration and economic future. Students receive a grant to support their research, are matched with a NASA subject matter expert to serve as a collaborator and have the opportunity to perform their research at NASA facilities among leading engineers and scientists.

Pawan Chaugule received the Best Oral Presentation Award for his paper titled "Coupling between Phase-Transformation and Viscoplasticity in High-temperature Shape Memory Alloys." The award is presented at the International Conference on Martensitic Transformation.

Maison Clouatre received the Department of Defense National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship lasts for three years and pays for full tuition and mandatory fees. It also includes a monthly stipend and a travel budget for professional development. He also received an award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program, which recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. The fellowship provides a three-year annual stipend, a cost-of-education allowance for tuition and fees, and access to professional development opportunities. From Texas A&M, Clouatre received the Dr. Dionel Avilés '53 and Dr. James Johnson '67 Fellowship, which seeks to increase diversity in the graduate and professional student population at Texas A&M. The fellowship provides four years of funding. He also received a Tau Beta Pi Fellowship, which finances a year of graduate study for members chosen for merit.

Kyle Craft received the John V. Breakwell Student Travel Award from the American Astronautical Society's (AAS) Space Flight Mechanics Committee. The award encourages and promotes research activity in space flight mechanics and astrodynamics by financially supporting students presenting papers at AAS/American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Space Flight Mechanics meetings and Astrodynamics conferences.

Sai Sandeep Dammati received the George H. Markstein Best Paper Award for his paper titled "Numerical Investigation of the Accuracy of Particle Image Velocimetry Technique in High-Speed Turbulent Flows." This award is presented by the Eastern States Section of the Combustion Institute and recognizes the best paper based on the final extended abstracts submitted to the Eastern States Technical Meeting.

Jeppesen Feliciano received the Aggie Green Fund Award, a competitive grant-making program for sustainability projects at Texas A&M University. It empowers students to bring their different perspectives and creative environmental improvements to Texas A&M's campus. The award supports students through navigating the grant writing process, working with administration and campus entities, implementing projects and monitoring impacts to complete reporting requirements. Feliciano focuses on hydration stations for the Harvey R. "Bum" Bright Building.

Maddie Haas received the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities Award. This award recognizes graduate students who show significant potential to contribute to NASA's goal of creating innovative new space technologies for the nation's science, exploration and economic future. Students receive a grant to support their research, are matched with a NASA subject matter expert to serve as a collaborator and have the opportunity to perform their research at NASA facilities among leading engineers and scientists. Haas also placed second at the 51st International Conference on Environmental Systems Student Poster Competition. The program aims to stimulate student participation and provides a forum for students to present their work in an informal and interactive setting. Posters are judged based on technical rigor, poster format and the student's ability to convey the poster content to the judges through an oral presentation. 

Poonam Josan received the NASA Pathways Internship, awarded to students who demonstrate curiosity, team orientation, excellence, passion for exploration, agility and resilience. Pathway interns are assigned challenging, meaningful work aligned with their academic or career interests, providing students with life-long learning and growth opportunities. Interns are also considered for full-time employment with NASA as they near graduation.

Jadon Kaercher received third place at the 51st International Conference on Environmental Systems Student Poster Competition. The program aims to stimulate student participation and provides a forum for students to present their work in an informal and interactive setting. Posters are judged based on technical rigor, poster format and the student's ability to convey the poster content to the judges through an oral presentation. 

Roshan Suresh Kumar received a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst German Academic Exchange Service Research Internship in Science and Engineering. This award offers summer research internships in Germany at companies and institutions with strong relations to industry. Students receive a scholarship and an additional stipend from their host company/institution for living expenses.

Waylon Lee received the NASA Pathways Internship, awarded to students who demonstrate curiosity, team -orientation, excellence, a passion for exploration, agility and resilience. Pathway interns are assigned challenging, meaningful work aligned with their academic or career interests, providing students with life-long learning and growth opportunities. Interns are also considered for full-time employment with NASA as they near graduation.

David Lont received the Aerospace Engineering Academic Excellence Fellowship. The award from Texas A&M's aerospace engineering department supports outstanding graduate students and supplements research assistant and fellowship stipends.

Kaushik Prabhu received the John V. Breakwell Student Travel Award from the American Astronautical Society's Space Flight Mechanics Committee. The award encourages and promotes research activity in space flight mechanics and astrodynamics by financially supporting students presenting papers at AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meetings and Astrodynamics Conferences.

Amir Rad received the Aerospace Engineering Academic Excellence Fellowship. The award from Texas A&M's aerospace engineering department supports outstanding graduate students and supplements research assistant and fellowship stipends.

Vishala received the John V. Breakwell Student Travel Award from the AAS Space Flight Mechanics Committee. The award encourages and promotes research activity in space flight mechanics and astrodynamics by financially supporting students presenting papers at AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics meeting and Astrodynamics conferences.

Patrick Walgren received the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's National Research Council Research Associateship Program award. This award offers students research opportunities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions. Students have the opportunity to devote full-time effort to conducting independent research and publication, collaborate with leading scientists and engineers and work in excellent facilities.