2025 AIAA GHS Awards Banquet

Come help us honor distinguished members of the American Institute for Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA) Greater Huntsville Section (GHS) at our 71st annual section awards banquet.

We hope you can join us on Friday, 2025 May 16 th at 5:30 PM CDT in Murray Hall, at Huntsville Botanical Garden. Murray Hall is just behind the main building.

The Buffet-style Dinner includes

Tossed garden salad

Greek chicken

Bowtie pasta w/ roasted vegetables

Roasted new potatoes

Buttered broccoli

Rolls

Black forest trifle or Praline bread pudding

Water, Iced Tea (Sweet or Unsweet)

Please note any dietary restrictions in the form field after check out

Ticket Pricing

$60 - General Admission

$50 - AIAA Members

$40 - Students

Sponsorship Options

$2000 - Presenting Sponsor (16)

$700 - Full Table (8)

$350 - Half-table (4)

2025 Honorees

Hermann Oberth Award: Dr. John Blevins

Holger Toftoy Award: Sami Habchi

Martin Schilling Award: Dr. Andrew Keys

Earl Pearce Professional of the Year: Dr. Vivek Ahuja

Konrad Dannenberg Educator of the Year: Dr. John Cochran Jr.

Ed Pruett Young Professional of the Year: AJ Pollard

Graduate Student of the Year: Praveen Ayyanathan

Undergraduate Student of the Year: Austin Miranda

Award descriptions and names of previous awardees are also available on Engage.

Keynote

"Nuclear Fission Technologies for Space Exploration"

Kurt Polzin is the Chief Engineer for NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion program at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, overseeing all Agency work on nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion.

Dr. Polzin received his B.S. from The Ohio State University and his Ph.D. from Princeton University. He joined NASA in 2004 as a propulsion research engineer and was previously the Space Systems Team Lead in Marshall’s Advanced Concepts Office. He is an Associate Fellow of AIAA and is presently a member of the Electric Propulsion Technical Committee and the Space Exploration Integration and Outreach Committee. He serves as Deputy Director for Rockets, Space, and Advanced Propulsion in the Propulsion and Energy Group, and was Chair of the Greater Huntsville Section and Southeast Regional Director.

In 2024, Dr. Polzin received the AIAA Sustained Service, Plasmadynamics and Lasers, and Engineer of the Year Awards, and was named the Huntsville Association of Technical Societies Joseph C. Moquin Professional of the Year.

Also check out other Nonprofit events in Huntsville.