WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio -- The Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management hosted their annual awards ceremony on Jan. 22, honoring faculty and staff for outstanding performance in 2020.
“The GSEM award winners demonstrate how we all come together from different angles to make AFIT a great place,” said Dr. Adedeji Badiru, dean of the graduate school.
Col. James Fee, associate dean of the graduate school, remarked on the challenges the faculty and staff faced in 2020, including moving more than 100 in-resident courses to distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I want to acknowledge all of the hard work and thank you,” Fee said. “Despite all of that, we still saw teaching excellence and people not letting that get in the way.”
The winners of the 2020 GSEM Annual Awards were:
- Outstanding Staff Member: Ms. Alicia Sprinkle, training administrator, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Early Career Achievement: Maj. Robert Bettinger, assistant professor of Astronautical Engineering and deputy director, Center for Space Research and Assurance, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Faculty Research: Lt. Col. James Rutledge, associate professor of Aerospace Engineering and Senior Military Faculty, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Faculty Service: Dr. Marc Polanka, professor of Aerospace Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Advising and Mentoring: Dr. Scott Graham, associate professor of Computer Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Teaching: Maj. Joshuah Hess, assistant professor of Aeronautical Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Professors:
- Dr. Benjamin Akers, professor of Mathematics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
- Maj. James Bevins, assistant professor of Nuclear Engineering, Department of Engineering Physics
- Dr. Hengky Chandrahalim, assistant professor of Electrical Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Maj. Justin Delorit, assistant professor of Engineering Management, Department of Systems Engineering and Management
- Dr. Raymond Hill, professor of Operations Research, Department of Operational Sciences
- Dr. Brian Lunday, professor of Operations Research, Department of Operational Sciences
- Dr. Scott Nykl, associate professor of Computer Science, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Dr. Anil Patnaik, associate professor of Physics, Department of Engineering Physics
- Dr. Mark Reeder, professor of Aerospace Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Dr. Jonathan Dan Ritschel, assistant professor of Systems Integration and Cost Analysis, Department of Systems Engineering and Management
- Lt. Col. James Rutledge, associate professor of Aerospace Engineering and Senior Military Faculty, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Dr. Christine Schubert Kabban, professor of Statistics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics