Alumni, faculty and staff honored for outstanding career achievements

The Air Force Institute of Technology hosted an awards ceremony in conjunction with its centennial celebration events Nov. 7. The ceremony highlighted the accomplishments of alumni, faculty and staff who distinguished themselves in support of AFIT’s mission to provide defense focused graduate and professional continuing education to the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tyler Greenlees)

The Air Force Institute of Technology hosted an awards ceremony in conjunction with its centennial celebration events Nov. 7. The ceremony highlighted the accomplishments of alumni, faculty and staff who distinguished themselves in support of AFIT’s mission to provide defense focused graduate and professional continuing education to the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tyler Greenlees)
Local News
By Katie Scott
Updated Dec 13, 2019
X

The Air Force Institute of Technology honored alumni, faculty and staff Nov. 7 at an awards ceremony as part of the school’s centennial celebrations. Maj. Gen. Carl Schaefer, deputy commander of Air Force Materiel Command and 2004 AFIT alum, served as keynote speaker for the event.

This year marked the inaugural presentation of two new alumni awards, the Young Alumni, honoring outstanding career contributions within 10 years of graduating from AFIT, and the International Alumni, highlighting exceptional career achievements.

Explore ‘Coastie’ first to study at AFIT in 15 years

The AFIT-level awards recognized the accomplishments of faculty and staff in four areas: innovation, leadership, mentorship and wingmanship. These awards were established in 2019 to highlight the great work faculty and staff accomplish every day in areas vital to the success of AFIT, the students, and the Air Force. Each of the nominees were competitively selected to represent their school.

This year’s award winners included:

AFIT Young Alumni Award winners:

• Dr. Nicholas Kovach (Ph.D. Computer Science, 2016 and M.S. Cyber Operations, 2010), Open Architecture Technical Lead, Air Force Research Laboratory’s Sensors Directorate

• Lt. Col. David Liu (Ph.D. Astronautical Engineering, 2011), Munitions Science and Technology Program Element Monitor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and Logistics

AFIT International Alumni Award winners:

• Col. Yong Kun Cho, Republic of South Korea (Ph.D. Operations Research, 2005 and M.S. Operations Research 2002), Director of North Korea Policy Division in the Republic of South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense

• Col. Jacob Toren, Israeli Air Force, Ret. (M.S. Electrical Engineering, 1976) (posthumous)

Distinguished Alumni Award winners:

• Col. Fred Abrams, USAF, Ret. (M.S. Systems Management, 1974, DG)

• Dr. Eric Jumper (Ph.D. Gas Dynamics and Laser Physics, 1975), Roth-Gibson professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Notre Dame University

Legacy Award winner:

• Lt. Col. George Hardy, USAF, Ret. (M.S. Systems Engineering (Reliability), 1964 and B.S. Electrical Engineering, 1957), a veteran of three wars (WWII, Vietnam, and Korea) and the youngest member of the Tuskegee Airman

AFIT Innovation Award winners:

• Junior Faculty category: Maj. Robert Bettinger, assistant professor of Astronautical Engineering and Curriculum Chair for the Astronautical Engineering degree program, Graduate School of Engineering and Management

• Senior Faculty category: Dr. Marc Polanka, professor of Aerospace Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering and Management

• Junior Staff category: Sean Miller, engineering technician, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Graduate School of Engineering and Management

• Senior Staff category: Matthew Dever, director of the AF Cyberspace Technical Center of Excellence, Graduate School of Engineering and Management

AFIT Leadership Award winners:

• Junior Faculty category: Joseph DiMisa, instructor of Environmental Management, the Civil Engineer School

• Senior Faculty category: John Colombi, professor and program chair of Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering and Management

• Junior Staff category: Brian Roberts, chief of Student Operations and Lead Education and Training Administrator, School of Systems and Logistics

• Senior Staff category: Capt. Brandon Johnson, executive officer to the Dean, Graduate School of Engineering and Management

AFIT Mentorship Award winners:

• Faculty category: Lt. Col. Jason Anderson, assistant professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management and Deputy Department Head, Operational Sciences Department, Graduate School of Engineering and Management

• Staff category: Dr. Alice Grimes, director of Faculty Development, Graduate School of Engineering and Management

AFIT Wingman Award winner:

• Maj. Ryan Mutch, School of Systems and Logistics

In Other News
1
2 days left to preorder for Dayton Greek Festival’s Holiday Market
2
New private airplane hangar being built at Dayton-Wright Brothers...
3
Scallop week returns to Lily’s Dayton with popular savory pancake
4
Springboro extends six-month ban on vaping businesses for second time
5
Our version of ‘Wrapped’: The top local food and dining stories of 2024

About the Author

Katie Scott