The Air Force Institute of Technology recently recognized the Air and Space Forces Association 2024 AFA Wright Memorial Chapter faculty award recipients.  The awards recognize faculty who advance aerospace power and technology through innovative efforts in education and research.  The AFA has sponsored the awards since 1982 and Mr. Jake Porter, vice president, AFA Wright Memorial Chapter 212, presented the awards at an awards ceremony at AFIT.  All images are AF contributed photos.

Dr. Marc Polanka, General Bernard A. Schriever Award  

This award is given in recognition of a person who advances aerospace power, technology, doctrine, or the Air Force as a profession.  The award is named in honor of Gen. Schriever, an AFIT alum from 1941, who organized and formed the Air Force’s ballistic missile and military space program.

Dr. Polanka is a professor of aerospace engineering in AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management.  During the award period, Dr. Polanka worked in the realm of rotating detonation engines for the past decade.  This technology addresses Secretary of the Air Force air dominance, moving target engagement and long-range strike Operational Imperatives.  He has been performing fundamental research that has laid the groundwork for this technology to evolve into current programs within the Air Force.  The research that Dr. Polanka has accomplished is leading to implementation of rotating detonation technology to be employed in a wide range of engine configurations including in ramjets, rockets and gas turbines.  Studies have shown that RDEs can improve the range, survivability, and payload when integrated into legacy platforms. 

Capt. Clayton Pratt, Colonel Charles A. Stone Award

This award is given in recognition of an individual who has made outstanding contributions to furthering the AFIT mission through new and innovative efforts involving demonstrated personal leadership. The award is named in honor of Col. Stone, the dean of AFIT’s School of Systems and Logistics from 1962-1966, who was instrumental in the school receiving accreditation to award master’s of science degrees.

Capt. Clayton Pratt is an instructor of civil engineering in AFIT’s Civil Engineering school. As a first-year instructor, Capt. Pratt led innovation in three areas: Civil Engineer Officer Initial Skills Training, Professional Continuing Education planning and execution, and Department of Air Force-wide CE enterprise engagement. Capt. Pratt advanced mission command content and led expansion of the IST capstone field exercise, "CRISIS.” As the school's lead PCE instructor, he increased course throughput while reducing faculty workload to provide critical capacity for other initiatives across the Institute. As an instructor, Capt. Pratt was in high-demand due to his passionate, innovative, and student-focused approach to education. He built hands-on wastewater practicums for environmental courses, drove mentorship sessions within leadership courses, and created game-based experiential learning on foundational concepts. Capt. Pratt also assisted with AFIT CE’s annual “CE Summit,” the largest gathering of civil engineers. As the designated liaison to HAF/A4C staff, he coordinated logistics in the 2024 event to include five forums synchronized with 11 courses attended by 300 students. He also led enterprise engagement to plan the 2025 event, revamping the schedule to enable a more expansive and inclusive scope with a leadership symposium open to all leaders across DAF.

 Capt. Andrew Groleau, Outstanding Professional Continuing Educator Award

This award is presented to the individual who made the most significant contribution to AFIT as evidenced through excellence in teaching in order to maintain the excellence of AFIT’s professional continuing education academic programs.

Capt. Andrew Groleau is an instructor in AFIT’s CE School. As a first-year instructor, Capt. Groleau executed the two-instructor mechanical engineering curricula for AFIT’s CE school.  Capt. Groleau also managed the largest of the technical engineering portfolios, and directed seven courses and taught an additional five courses. Capt. Groleau’s focus on practical, real-world applications ensured his students gained essential skills needed for their roles as Air Force engineers. In addition to his regular teaching duties, he supported the Ira C. Eaker Center at Maxwell Air Force Base by providing senior officers with instruction on Emergency Operation Center functions, enhancing their readiness to respond to critical situations. His leadership extended to the Civil Engineer Officer Initial Skills Training Course where he led civil engineer officers through an intensive 10-week program. Under Capt. Groleau’s leadership, his flights garnered Top Flight, three Distinguished Graduates, and the top academic student awards. The content he delivered not only met, but exceeded the expectations of both students and senior leadership, ensuring graduates were fully prepared for their roles. His curriculum development fostered an active learning environment and encouraged students to apply new concepts in practical settings. His leadership and approach continues to model integrating industry trends with military training and ensures future Air Force engineers are prepared for complex challenges. 

Lt. Col. Robert Bettinger, Professor Ezra Kotcher Award

This award is given in recognition of an individual who made significant contributions to curriculum or instructional development within AFIT. The award is named in honor of Col. Kotcher, the first director of AFIT and an aeronautical engineer who worked on inflight fueling and directed the development of the X-1 and X-2 jet planes.     

Lt. Col. Bettinger is division chief for faculty and research operations and associate professor of aerospace engineering in AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management. During the award period, Lt. Col. Bettinger spearheaded the development of “Studies in Space Law and Policy” (ASYS 636A), the very first AFIT course related to space law and policy considerations for U.S. and international space powers. The course empowers space-focused engineering and acquisition students to consider the broader spectrum of space law and policy when interacting with the congested, contested, and competitive space domain as either a military or civilian operator or acquisitions professional. Lt. Col. Bettinger also co-developed the graduate course, “Orbit Design for Multi-Body Systems” (MECH 784A). This course furthered AFIT’s commitment to providing the education required to become practitioners of multi-body environments, specifically the cislunar domain. As part of the September fall refresher courses, he developed a new course for inbound aeronautical and astronautical students titled “Graduate Research Fundamentals.” This course provides topics to give a conceptual and application-based foundation for future coursework and research to advance their academics programs. Finally, he taught two “special study” courses for multi-body dynamics and spacecraft reverse engineering. 

Maj. José Gutierrez del Arroyo, Gage H. Crocker Outstanding Professor Award

This award is presented to the individual who made the most significant contribution to the AFIT mission through excellence in teaching, research, and service in order to maintain the excellence of AFIT’s degree-granting academic programs. The award is named in honor of Col. Crocker who served as the dean of AFIT’s School of Systems and Logistics from 1971 – 1972 and was a coauthor of papers on turbulence associated with blunt body flow.

Maj. Gutierrez del Arroyo is an assistant professor of computer science in AFIT’s GSEM.  During the award period, he directed $1.5M resources as Director for the Center for Cyberspace and Research and advanced operational research with 30 faculty and 50 students supporting DoD and national security interests. Maj. Gutierrez del Arroyo was handpicked to lead an AFIT-level subcommittee on continuing education assessing AFIT's needs for standardization and consolidation in long-term development. He also served faculty as lead military liaison and program chair and directed two cyber programs and three certificates, enhancing continuous feedback to bolster content delivery for 15 cyber operators and USAF pilots.  Maj. Guitierrez also led a $3.1M multi-department program boosting low-cost digital sensors by using Artificial Intelligence, coordinating research activities across AFIT and other AF collaborators. Facing  budget challenges, he was able to leverage research center funds to avert a work furlough, assuring a novel space system supporting in-orbit USSF assets. 

The Air Force Institute of Technology, AFIT, located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is committed to providing defense-focused graduate education and related research, and operationally-relevant initial skills training and professional continuing education to sustain the technological supremacy of America's air, space, and cyber forces.  For more information, please visit www.afit.edu