AAE Associate Prof. Dominick Andrisani is retiring after 37 years of service to the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. A retirement reception in his honor was held April 27, 2017 in the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering.

During his time at Purdue, Andrisani had two major areas of research: precision location of ground targets from airborne platforms and air traffic management. He served as director of the Indiana Space Grant Consortium from 1995-2001. Initial emphasis of the consortium was on outreach activities that used aerospace activities to encourage young students to excel in school. Andrisani developed "A Tase of Aerospace" in 1995 to  basic aerospace principles to promote interest in science and math among Indiana youth. The program was presented roughly 200 times to more than 8,000 primary and secondary students, more than 90% of whom were students from underrepresented minority groups.

Andrisani was honored in 2007 and 2013 with the Elmer F. Bruhn Outstanding Teacher Award, which is voted on by the AAE student body for excellence in teaching. Andrisani received the W. A. Gustafson Outstanding Teacher Award in 2007. This award, also for excellence in teaching, is selected by AAE juniors and seniors.

Andrisani expects to enjoy his retirement pursuing his passion for blacksmithing and spending time with family.

Click here to see more photos from Prof. Andrisani's retirement reception.

top photo: Prof. Dominick Andrisani with the retirement plaque presented to him by Dr. Tom Shih, the J. William Uhrig and Anastasia Vournas Head and Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, at a retirement reception on April 27, 2017.

bottom photo: Prof. Dominick Andrisani, right, and former NASA astronaut Mark Brown get the audience involved in a public presentation called "A Taste of Aerospace" in 1997.