A professor whose “greatest strength” is an ability to “patiently mentor researchers” has been chosen as the Outstanding Faculty Mentor for the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Jonathan Poggie

Jonathan Poggie was selected by the College of Engineering for his exceptional mentoring of engineering graduate students. Aero Assist, the graduate student organization in AAE, nominated Poggie for the annual award. He will receive an engraved plaque.

“Dr. Poggie’s mentorship is an inspiration to all,” the plaque said, in part. “He works to develop a strong rapport with his students, guiding them in both their development as researchers and their career goals beyond graduate school, while creatively mentoring his lab group as a whole. His sage guidance makes the processes of research and education worthwhile and fulfilling."

Since joining Purdue faculty in 2015, Poggie has served as the advisor for 15 MS and Ph.D. students in AAE. He has taught three graduate-level courses, “Introduction to Fluid Mechanics” (AAE511), “Nonequilibrium Hypersonic Flow” (AAE590) and “Computational Aerodynamics” (AAE512) at Purdue.

“My approach to mentoring graduate students is to treat them as colleagues from the start,” Poggie said. “I set goals, but I give the students room to achieve those goals in their own way. This method can lead to struggle at first, but with a little guidance, the students quickly develop as independent researchers.”