The Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management recently recognized the achievements of more than 40 master’s students from the graduating class of winter quarter 2025.  Faculty members were also recognized with awards for their outstanding support to student success.

Awards Selected by Students

The Ivan B. Thompson Award recognizes the member of the graduating class who has shown exceptional service to the class, school, community, and Air Force. The winter quarter 2025 winner was 2nd Lt. Samantha Vi-Tang, M.S. Operations Research.

Lt. Col. Ryan Walton, assistant professor of operations research, won the Dr. Leslie M. Norton Teaching Excellence Award. This award is given to a faculty member in honor of commitment and service to the graduating class.

The Ohio Eta Chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honor Society, sponsored two awards. The Tau Beta Pi Best Thesis Award recognizes the master’s student whose thesis was judged to make a significant contribution to the engineering community. The winter quarter 2025 winner was 2nd Lt. Melbourne Ketteridge, M.S. Electrical Engineering.

The Dayton Chapter of the International Society of Logistics sponsored the Jerome G. Peppers Jr., Outstanding Student Award. This award is given to a member of each graduating class whose academic record and research contributions to the field of logistics are judged to be superior. The winter quarter 2025 winner was Maj. Micah A. Hurst (US Army), M.S. Operations Research.

The Dayton/Miami Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute sponsored the Dr. Martin D. Martin and Dr. John Adams Thesis Award given to the author of the thesis that best addresses a project management topic and is judged to be an outstanding research effort in terms of its contribution to the project management body of knowledge. The winter quarter 2025 winner was Capt. Liam O’Neill, M.S. Acquisition and Program Management.

The Dr. James T. Moore Graduate Research Prize (MORS), sponsored by the Military Operations Research Society, is named after Dr. Moore who served for 21 years at AFIT as a Professor and head of the Department of Operational Sciences. This award is given to the author of a thesis judged to demonstrate the best application of operations research methodology or theory development to a military problem. Key elements considered for this award include the applicability and impact of the research, the originality and scope of the research effort, and the overall quality of the written presentation. The winter quarter 2025 winner was 2nd Lt. Haley Traub, M.S. Data Science.

The National Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT) Committee Academic Excellence Award is given to the author of a master’s thesis judged to best exemplify research and analysis of a measurement and signature intelligence subject. The MASINT discipline is technically derived intelligence that allows detection, tracking, identification, or signature characterization of fixed or dynamic target sources. The award is sponsored by the MASINT Committee, a technical coordination office within the Defense Intelligence Agency with government representatives from the intelligence community and the Department of Defense. The winter quarter 2025 winner was 1st Lt. Justin Evans, M.S. Aeronautical Engineering.

The Alpha Chapter of the American Nuclear Society sponsored the ANS Thesis Award. This award is given to the author of a thesis judged to make the most significant contribution to the field of nuclear engineering and physics. Other key criteria for determining the winning thesis include originality, completeness, and level of difficulty. The winter quarter 2025 winner was Capt. Austin Powell, M.S. Nuclear Engineering. 

The Dayton-Cincinnati Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) sponsored the AIAA Graduate Student Award for Service Excellence to recognize a graduating master’s student from AFIT for outstanding service to the aerospace profession in general, and the Dayton-Cincinnati Section of AIAA in specific.  The winter quarter 2025 winner was Capt. Jacob Ahles, M.S. Aeronautical Engineering.

The Air Force Historical Foundation’s General Bryce Poe II Award is given to a student or group of students whose thesis contributes to an understanding of the historical factors affecting an Air Force or Department of Defense problem, event, or process. The winter quarter 2025 winner was 1st Lt. Alexander Krawietz, M.S. Cost Analysis.

The Society of American Military Engineers Kittyhawk Chapter sponsored the SAME Award. This award is given to the student in the engineering and environmental management program who demonstrates superior scholarship, outstanding leadership, character, and initiative. The award criterion also considers the student's overall performance and ability to work with faculty and fellow students. The winter quarter 2025 winner was 2nd Lt. Julia A. Howard,  M.S. Engineering Management.

The Society of American Military Engineers Kittyhawk Chapter sponsored the Office of the Air Force Civil Engineer, George K. Dimitroff Award. This award is presented annually to the author of the thesis judged to have made the most significant contribution to the Air Force civil engineering career field. The winter quarter 2025 winner was Capt. Cameron J. Palmer, M.S. Engineering Management.

The U. S. Cyber Command sponsored the Cyberspace Research Excellence Award given to the student whose master’s level research is judged the best in advancing Air Force capabilities in cyberspace. The winter quarter 2025 winner was Capt. Jessica McQuagge, M.S. Cyber Operations.

The Dayton Section of the Institute of Navigation sponsored the Institute of Navigation’s Research Excellence Award (ION) given to the author of a master’s thesis reflecting the most exceptional research contribution to scientific or engineering knowledge in the navigation area. The winter quarter 2025 winner was 2nd Lt. Melbourne Ketteridge, M.S. Electrical Engineering.

The Greater Dayton Chapter of the International Cost Estimating and Analysis Association (ICEAA), sponsored the ICEAA Thesis Award. This award is presented to the author of the thesis which best qualifies both as an outstanding research effort and as a significant contribution to the development and/or application of cost analysis or cost accounting. The winter quarter 2025 winner was Capt. Jason Aristizabal, M.S. Cost Analysis.

The International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), presented the Best Light-Based Thesis. This award for excellence in optics and photonics research recognizes the best light-based thesis of a graduating master’s student. The winter quarter 2025 winner was 2nd Lt. Julianna Sommer, M.S. Atmospheric Science.

The Dayton Area Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, presented the MOAA Outstanding Military Professor Award. MOAA is the nation’s largest veteran’s organization of retired, former, and currently serving uniformed officers. The Outstanding Military Professor Award is given in recognition of the military professor who has demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, and service. The winter quarter 2025 award winner was Lt. Col. Chandra Pasillas, assistant professor of atmospheric science.

The Cincinnati-Dayton Chapter of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences, presented the Dr. George S. Parnell Military and Security Research Award. This award is given to the author of a thesis focused on a military or security problem that is judged to make a meaningful theoretical contribution to the discipline of operations research. The award is sponsored by the Military and Security Society of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. The winter quarter 2025 award winner was 2nd Lt. William Titus, M.S. Operations Research.

Graduate School of Engineering and Management Awards

The Air University Certificate and Badge recognizes graduating international students on behalf of Lt. Gen. Andrea Tullos, AU commander and president. The winter quarter 2025 winners were Capt. Ori Kenig, M.S. Computer Engineering (Israeli AF) and Capt. Cal Tsfaty, M.S. Computer Science (Israeli AF).  

The Lt. Col. Charles P. Brothers, Jr. Outstanding Volunteer Service Award went to Dr. Jose Camberos, director Applied Research Center of Hypersonics (ARCH).  This award recognizes an AFIT faculty or staff member who has established a record of sustained, significant volunteer service to organizations both on-base and in the local communities.  At the time of his death, Lt Col Brothers was serving on the faculty of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.  He believed that by donating one’s time and talents to the community, an individual truly demonstrates the qualities of character, integrity, and team spirit.  We honor Lt Col Brothers’ spirit of service through this award. 

In August 2002, under the leadership of Air Force Secretary James G. Roche, AFIT enrolled its first class of 16 non-commissioned officers into the Graduate School of Engineering and Management, and subsequently created a specific award to honor the top enlisted student. The Secretary James G. Roche Award is presented to the graduating enlisted student who has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement through a combination of grade point average and outstanding research, as well as high qualities of character, initiative, leadership and service. The winter quarter 2025 winner was MSgt. Joseph Payne, M.S. Cyber Operations.

The Lieutenant Edwin E. Aldrin, Sr. Award is sponsored by the Wright Memorial Chapter of the Air Force Association and is named in honor of Lieutenant Edwin E. Aldrin, Sr.; a member of the institute’s first graduating class of 1920, who upon graduation became AFIT’s first Vice Commandant. This award recognizes the student who has displayed the most exceptional leadership characteristics while in the graduate program. The winter quarter 2025 award winner was 2nd Lt. James Minteer, M.S. Electrical Engineering.

The Louis F. Polk Award is sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association and recognizes the student who has made an advanced contribution in their professional field. The winner of this award has exhibited the highest standards of academic and professional accomplishment, and through their research made a significant contribution toward strengthening the nation’s industrial defense base. The winter quarter 2025 award winner was 2nd Lt. Julianna Sommer, M.S. Atmospheric Science.

The Mervin E. Gross Award is presented to the graduating student who has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and high qualities of character, initiative, and leadership while in a master’s graduate program. Named in honor of Brigadier General Mervin E. Gross who, following World War II, was responsible for reorganizing the Air Corps Engineering School as the Air Force Institute of Technology. The winter quarter 2025 award winner was 2nd Lt. Annika Gilliam, M.S. Astronautical Engineering.

The Dean’s Award recognizes the most exceptional master’s thesis by a graduating student within each academic department. Award determination is based on the master’s thesis reflecting the most exceptional contribution to scientific, management, or engineering knowledge. Each individual was competitively selected by their respective academic department.

2nd Lt. William Brinkley, M.S. Applied Mathematics

Capt. Lee Cotrell Lambert, M.S. Computer Science

Maj. Daniel Godlasky (US Army), M.S. Nuclear Engineering

2nd Lt. Nico De Ros, M.S. Data Science

2nd Lt. William Mockel, M.S Materials Science

From the collection of Dean’s Award recipients, one overall winner is chosen to receive the Chancellor’s Award. The Chancellor’s Award is presented to the graduating student who produced the most exceptional master’s thesis. The winter quarter 2025 Chancellor’s Award and Russ Prize, sponsored by the AFIT Foundation, went to Capt. Stephen Chatterton, M.S. Cost Analysis.

The AFIT Chancellor is authorized to designate no more than 10 percent of each graduating class as Distinguished Graduates. The criteria for identifying DG achievement encompasses academic scores, the “whole person” concept based on professional qualities, and the recommendation of the department heads to ensure the students are deserving of the honor associated with DG. The DGs for the winter quarter class of 2025 were:

2nd Lt. Anders Romney Johnson, M.S. Applied Mathematics

Capt. Stephanie C. Hanson, M.S. Computer Science

1st Lt. Liam Alejandro Weinfurtner, M.S. Applied Mathematics

Capt. Thomas Nelson Whitney, M.S. Applied Mathematics

Maj. Daniel Godlasky (US Army), M.S. Nuclear Engineering

2nd Lt. Kara Lauren Kniezewski, M.S. applied Physics

2nd Lt. Nico Diego De Ros, M.S. Data Science

2nd Lt. Micah John Kartchner, M.S. Operations Research

2nd Lt. William Matthew Titus, M.S. Operations Research

Capt. Scott M. Wyman, M.S. Logistics and Supply Chain Management

1st Lt. Philip Michael Bardes, M.S. Acquisition and Program Management

1st Lt. Sarah Leslie Cahill, M.S. Systems Engineering

Capt. Stephen Chatterton, M.S. Cost Analysis

Capt. John Glenn Roberts, M.S. Engineering Management

Capt. David Anthonie Rochester, M.S. Engineering Management

2nd Lt. Annika Gilliam, M.S. Astronautical Engineering

Maj. Roderick Andrew Mills, M.S. Aeronautical Engineering

2nd Lt. William Mockel, M.S. Materials Science