2026 Excellence Awards

Asher Beck

Doctoral Research Excellence

Asher was recognized for research exploring how the choice of equation-of-state affects early-time instability growth in pulsed-power liners and the resulting magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability growth that can be detrimental to fusion. His work represents the first set of numerical studies to thoroughly examine this question, and it will help major facilities like Sandia National Laboratory's Z machine explain discrepancies between simulations and experiments. He has also taken on a second project performing integrated fluid and plasma simulations relevant to hypersonic reentry, and has presented at the APS Division of Plasma Physics conference, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and Sandia. His nominator praised his thoroughness, scientific judgment, and remarkable productivity.

Neha Yelve

Master's Research Excellence

Neha was honored for original, rigorous research investigating the behavior of thermally modified Western Hemlock under low-velocity impact, work aimed at enabling safer and more durable shelter design. She designed and conducted a series of drop tower experiments, using an ultra-high-speed camera to capture failure processes in extraordinary detail and identified three distinct failure mechanisms never before reported in the literature. She also characterized the material's maximum impact energy absorption as a function of treatment temperature, producing findings directly relevant to the construction industry. A paper based on her work has been submitted to one of the top journals in composites and is now in press.

Owen Sechtman

Undergraduate Research Excellence

Owen used ultrasound inspection to identify defect signatures in 3D-printed composite panels and connect those defects to mechanical performance. This research is on track toward publication. He has since expanded into computational research, simulating fracture behavior in thermoplastic composites at the microscale. The combination of experimental depth and computational range, at the undergraduate level, is rare.

Jeff Wollschlager

Graduate Teaching Excellence

Jeff was recognized for his exceptional clarity and dedication in teaching composites and additive manufacturing. Nominators praised his ability to break down difficult concepts into manageable steps, including compact "one-pagers" summarizing course material that he still uses in his own professional career. He builds his courses around independent problem solving, first equipping students with tools, then giving each student their own problem to solve. His hands-on design projects give students experience that goes well beyond theoretical coursework. Nominators also highlighted his flexibility and understanding of the demands facing graduate professional students.

Keira Morrissey

Undergraduate Teaching Excellence

Keira served as TA for AA 312, Structural Vibrations, where she brought a command of the material and genuine investment in student learning. She guided students through in-class activities and drew in students who were hesitant to participate. Before each of the course's three exams, she recorded review sessions and shared study checklists, and she contributed thoughtful input on pacing, exam difficulty, and course materials throughout the term.

Julius Naehrig

Graduate Service Excellence

Julius was honored for service that extends far beyond the department. He contributed to an interdisciplinary project with the Program on the Environment studying the health impacts of highway noise on socioeconomically disadvantaged Seattle communities, and led the launch of Engineers for One Planet at UW, an organization promoting socially and environmentally responsible engineering. Within his lab, he organized "Lab Dating" community-building events connecting research labs within and beyond A&A, and he served on the Sigma Gamma Tau administrative team, contributing to tutoring, resume workshops, and outreach presentations. His nominator described him as a generous, patient mentor whose work elevates the entire community around him.
 

Catherine Ingram

Undergraduate Service Excellence

Catherine has dedicated nearly 700 hours over five years to STEM outreach and education. She led the creation of a LEGO Robotics program at the Don Hatch Youth Center in Tulalip, a six-month effort that served more than 30 Native youth and families and has continued under Everett Community College since her involvement. She has also contributed to Discovery Days, Women in Aviation events, Boeing Boys and Girls Club programming, and Highline School District workshops, collectively reaching hundreds of K-12 students. As a mentor in the Michael P. Anderson program at the Museum of Flight, she worked directly with 40 middle schoolers from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds and shared her own story with 200 students. Catherine has made a sustained, personal commitment to making aerospace more accessible.

Amir Taghvaei

Amir's mentorship is defined by the combination of intellectual rigor and genuine investment in his students as people. Rather than prescribing solutions, he pushes students to develop their own thinking, taking even preliminary ideas seriously and working through them with care.  He builds research confidence alongside technical depth.
 

Bhuvana Srinivasan

Bhuvana brings exceptional range to her role as an educator and researcher.  She supports her students as whole people. She is attentive to the individual circumstances each student brings to their PhD, creating an environment where steady progress matters more than the pace of milestones. Her students consistently describe feeling supported well beyond the technical demands of their research. She has a combination of intellectual depth and genuine care that makes her lab a place where people can do their best work.

Erica Coleman

Erica was celebrated for her exceptional dedication to undergraduate student success. Her proactive outreach keeps students informed about opportunities, resources, and deadlines, and her deep knowledge of programs, scholarships, and career pathways supports students navigating co-ops, internships, and research. One nominator marveled that she knows every single student personally: their strengths, weaknesses, and what they need to succeed. She also serves as a valuable resource for faculty, especially newcomers, and champions inclusion by regularly sharing scholarships, internships, and career opportunities with the Women of Aerospace group.
 

Susan Sherbak

Susan was recognized for her initiative and warmth in building community across A&A. She kept both the community committee and graduate student advisory committee focused and productive, driving progress on awards, SHARC week planning, and graduate student communication, and co-organized the launch of the A&A mentoring program connecting undergraduate and graduate students. Nominators noted that she frequently brings unique perspectives on inclusion and belonging that others might not think to raise, and described her as someone who leads with warmth and inclusiveness to bring people together and get things done.