Bob Lucht, Chris Goldenstein, and others honored by AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) held its annual AIAA SciTech Forum in Orlando on January 6-10, 2025. Several Purdue University researchers were honored during the event.

Bob Lucht, Ralph & Bettye Bailey Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of Zucrow Labs, received the 2025 AIAA Propellants and Combustion Award, presented for outstanding technical contributions to aeronautical or astronautical combustion engineering. Lucht was cited for "numerous contributions to combustion, propulsion, and power generation through innovative development of advanced laser diagnostics and applying them to practical energy systems." Here he accepts the award with his wife, Martha Lucht.

Christopher S. Goldenstein, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, was elected as an AIAA Associate Fellow. In addition, his former student student Vishnu Radhakrishna received the award for 2023 AIAA Solid Rockets Best Paper. The paper was titled Dual-Zone Temperature and Multi-Species Measurements in Solid-Propellant Flames via Broadband Mid-Infrared Laser Absorption Spectroscopy, by Vishnu Radhakrishna, Kyle E. Uhlenhake, Steven F. Son and Christopher S. Goldenstein.

Mohammed Abir Mahdi (right), PhD student in Mechanical Engineering, received the 2024 Abe M. Zarem Graduate Award for Distinguished Achievement in Astronautics, recognizing graduate students in aeronautics and astronautics who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship in their field. Mahdi and his collaborator Safi Romeo received the award for their paper "Convolutional Neural Network and Homogenization based Hybrid Approach for Lattice Structures," which they wrote while at Oklahoma State University. In this photo, Mahdi celebrates his home country of Bangladesh.

Stephen D. Heister received the 2024 AIAA-ASEE J. Leland Atwood Award, recognizing an outstanding aerospace engineering educator in recognition of the educator's contributions to the profession. Heister was cited for "his transformative impact on the aerospace industry in revitalizing Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories, and mentoring leaders currently developing advanced rocket and air-breathing propulsion systems." Heister recently retired as Raisbeck Engineering Distinguished Professor for Engineering and Technology Integration in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.