Tarleton takes 1st at AIAA Region IV Student Paper Competition at Rice
Congratulations to AIAA North Texas branch students from Tarleton State University (above) who took 1st place in the Undergraduate Team Paper Category at Rice University 27-29 March 2026 in Houston. Students from around Region IV (Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico) presented papers in undergraduate, graduate, and team categories. Cash prizes were awarded for first, second, and third place winners in each category. First-place regional winners are then invited to participate in the AIAA Foundation International Student Conference, held during the AIAA SciTech Forum each January. Pictured above (L to R) from the winning Tarleton paper, Free-Space Optical Communications with Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulators for Hypersonic and Re-entry Vehicles, are Ruben Ooms, Austin Eckert, and Ashlan Benson.
Congrats to our other North Texas Section winners! A complete list to be published soon by AIAA.|
1st Place Graduate Category - UT Arlington
Configuration Aerodynamics Methodology for Conceptual Design of Hypersonic Vehicles
3rd Place Team Category - UT Dallas
Concentration of Ozone and Cosmic Radiation in the Stratosphere
3rd Place Undergraduate Category - UT Arlington
Image Processing and Time of Flight Analysis of Propagating Shocks
3rd Place High School Category - Newman Smith High School
Velocity and Angle Compensated Turret Aiming for Simultaneous Shooting and Motion
UTA Alum Lauren Savage
Blue Origin
Thursday, 9 April 2026
12 -1pm
UTA Nedderman Hall Room 100
Please RSVP - https://linktr.ee/AIAA_UTA
Innovation Day
UTA College of Engineering
Tuesday, 14 April 2026
Maverick Activities Center (MAC)
9-11:30am displays with luncheon and awards after
https://uta.engineering/innovationday/
An Annual Showcase of Research and Innovation from undergraduate and graduate UTA Engineering Students.
AIAA North Texas is providing judging and event support. Please reply if you would like to attend.
FALCON Hypersonic Technology Demonstration
Bob Wetherall
Lockheed Martin Program Manager (ret.), AIAA Associate Fellow
Baylor University
Rogers Room 109
Monday, 20 April 2026
12-1pm
Mr. Wetherall will present the Hypersonic Technology Demonstration program called FALCON (Force Application and Launch from CONUS). The program was awarded in 2004 to demonstrate long duration, hypersonic maneuvering flight from Phase II prototype design and build to successful flight test, which has advanced our national hypersonics capability and database. This program demonstrated the first-ever use of an entire aeroshell of shape-stable Advanced Carbon-Carbon for long duration endoatmospheric flight with a very high lift-to-drag ratio (>3).
Parking for Visitors: Visitor Parking Permit | Department of Public Safety | Baylor University
Volunteers needed for
Collin College Engineering Speed Mentoring
1 May 2026
12 -1:30pm
Come join Lt. Gen (ret.) CR Davis (AF), L3 Harris, and James Sergeant as they attempt to mentor students.
Collin College Allen Technical Campus
2550 Bending Branch Way, Allen, TX 75013
Contact
AIAA North Texas Section Awards
Nominations Due 30 April 2026
TBD May at UT Arlington
Dinner & Awards Program $25 per person
Make Award Nomination
Purchase Event Tickets
AIAA North Texas Section Awards will be presented for the categories below, primarily for the period of the last AIAA Fiscal Year June 2024 through May 2025. Several of the awards are named in honor of the former UTA Aerospace Engineering professors who established and led the initial program at UTA. All serious nominations will be considered with final award announcements at the event itself (except for scholarship winners who will be notified ahead of time). All nominations should not exceed 1 page, not including endorsements/letters of recommendation (maximum 2). Judging will be by the North Texas Section Officers and Advisory Board.
- High School Senior Scholarship ($500)
GPA, public service, activities, aerospace career goal (need not be for university, can be technical/mechanical/pilot/ATC goal), and AIAA activities will be considered for student attending North Texas high school.
- College Undergraduate Scholarship ($500)
GPA, public service, activities, aerospace career goal, and AIAA activities will be considered for student attending North Texas college.
- Dr. Don Seath Award for Outstanding University Faculty
This award honors former UTA Aerospace Dept. Chair Dr. Don Seath for his years of service to the aerospace education profession and for helping to establish the initial Aerospace Engineering program at UTA. Service/support for students, other faculty, programs, university, technical field, or AIAA will be considered for a North Texas instructor.
- Outstanding High School Educator
Service/support for students, other faculty, programs, university, technical field, or AIAA will be considered for a North Texas instructor.
- High School Student of the Year
GPA, public service, activities, aerospace career goal, and AIAA activities will be considered for North Texas student.
- College Student of the Year
GPA, public service, activities, aerospace career goal, and AIAA activities will be considered for student attending North Texas college.
- Dr. Jack Fairchild Award for Best AIAA North Texas College Event
This award honors former UTA Professor Dr. Jack Fairchild for his years of service to the aerospace education profession with his VariEze aircraft building program for students and his support and promotion of AIAA. Any AIAA supported/organized/recognized collegiate event is eligible.
- Dr. Don Wilson Award for AIAA North Texas Young Professional of the Year
This award honors former UTA Professor Dr. Don Wilson for his years of service to UTA. Dr. Wilson was responsible for the development of the Aerodynamics Research Center (https://arc.uta.edu/) and was the graduate advisor of NASA Astronaut Kalpana Chalwa. Professional achievements, service/support for AIAA will be considered.
- AIAA North Texas Outstanding Professional Achievement
Professional achievement, service/support for AIAA will be considered.
- Outstanding Aerospace Achievement by a North Texas Individual
Technical, research, education, or operations will be considered.
- Outstanding Aerospace Achievement by a North Texas Team
Technical, research, education, or operations will be considered.
- Outstanding AIAA Support (separate awards) for
1) AIAA North Texas National Student Member
2) North Texas Young Professional Member
3) North Texas Professional Member
4) North Texas Company or Organization
Service/support for AIAA will be considered for each award
Make Award Nomination
Purchase Event Tickets: https://luftorgs.regfox.com/2026-aiaa-north-texas-awards