Kathleen C. Howell, Hsu Lo Distinguished Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and associate dean for engineering at Purdue University, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Prof. Howell is among 84 new members and 22 foreign members of the academy.

“It’s a big honor for me to be elected to the NAE,” said Prof. Howell. “It’s particularly notable to be elected by your colleagues. I’m grateful to other NAE members at Purdue that I now have the honor of joining.”

Election to the NAE is among the highest professional honors for an engineer.  Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice or education, which might include the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional engineering fields or developing innovative approaches to engineering education.

Prof. Howell was elected to the NAE “for contributions in dynamical systems theory and invariant manifolds culminating in optimal interplanetary trajectories and the Interplanetary Superhighway.”

“We are extremely proud of Professor Howell for her significant contributions that led to this recognition,” said Dr. Tom Shih, the J. William Uhrig and Anastasia Vournas Head and Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics. “Since being elected to the National Academy of Engineering is one of the highest distinctions an engineer can receive, Professor Howell’s accomplishments bring honor not just to her, but also to AAE, our college, and our great university.”

Newly elected members will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAE’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 8, 2017.