Recognition Awards

Each year, because of the exceptional work exemplified by our program participants, AFRL presents Outstanding Scholar and Mentor awards to select individuals. 

Mentors are asked to nominate scholars who went above and beyond what was asked of them and provided excellent examples of character, dedication, and initiative. Likewise, scholars are asked to nominate mentors who have positively influenced their research, summer experience, education and career decisions, and who, overall, they believed deserve special recognition.

Nominations are reviewed and ranked by an anonymous panel of judges, and awards are presented by AFRL leadership or distinguished guests during a Poster Session event.

Congratulations to the Summer 2020 Outstanding Scholar and Mentor Award winners!

Summer 2020 - Scholars

Bryan Cline, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Zach Henry, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

David Herman, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Laura Holifield, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Shannon Lipp, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Melanie Munroe, Air Armament Scholar, Eglin AFB

Matthew Naeger, Hap Arnold Scholar, Eglin AFB

Christina Rigsby, Hap Arnold Scholar, Eglin AFB

John Roberts, Wright-Patterson Scholar, Wright-Patterson AFB

Shervin Sahba, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Phillip Zamora, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

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Summer 2020 - Mentors

Dr. Jeffrey Hudack, Information Directorate, Rome Labs

Dr. Ryan Lane, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Dr. Thomas Peng, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Dr. Benjamin Prince, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Dr. John Tam, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Dr. Ashley Trowell, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB

 

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Summer 2019 - Scholars

Domenic Cipollone, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Joseph Cox, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Maimuna Hossain, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Cesar Lopez Zelaya, Air Armament Scholar, Eglin AFB

Marko Milosavljevic, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Ramya Pathuri, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Avery Sanford, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Laura Sawyer, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Natalie Schultz, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Ryder Swan, Doolittle Scholar,
Eglin AFB

Benjamin Whetten, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

David Yang, Air Armament Scholar, Eglin AFB

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Summer 2019 - Mentors

Anthony Baros, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Dr. Kevin Brink, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB

Jessica Buckner, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Nicholas Del Rio, Information Directorate, Rome Laboratory

Brian Kasch, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Dr. Chi Mai, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB

John Tam, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

 

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Summer 2018 - Scholars

Judith Brewer, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Railey Conner, Educator Scholar,
Eglin AFB

Bud Denny, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Evan Kain, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Jordan Maxwell, Space Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Connor Murphy, Phillips Directed Energy, Kirtland AFB

Clayton Neff, Hap Arnold Scholar,
Eglin AFB

Adrian Perez, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Grant Welch, Air Armament Scholar,
Eglin AFB

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Summer 2018 - Mentors

Monica Allen, Munitions Directorate,
Eglin AFB

Jason Hammond, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Ryan Hoffman, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Chi Mai, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB

Andrew Pineda, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

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Summer 2017 - Scholars

Kyle Bissonnette, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Erich Brown, Phillips Space Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Derek Burrell, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Olivia Byrd, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Ian Hage, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Jerry Huggins, Air Armament Scholar,
Eglin AFB

Nida Javaid, Phillips Space Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Joseph Kloeppel, Directed Energy Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Abi Komanduru, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Sharon Maguire, Air Armament Scholar,
Eglin AFB

Steven Maurice, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

John Papadakis, Hap Arnold Scholar,
Eglin AFB

Katherine Schneider, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Gregory Smail, Air Armament Scholar,
Eglin AFB

Luis Suarez-Salas, Space Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Hunter Vaught, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

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Summer 2017 - Mentors

Jeffery Allen, Munitions Directorate,
Eglin AFB

Shaun Ard, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Jennifer Elle, Directed Energy Directorate,
Kirtland AFB

Kyle Martin, Space Vehicles Directorate,
Kirtland AFB

Ben Pulford, Directed Energy Directorate,
Kirtland AFB

Stephanie Schieffer, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Andrew Sinclair, Space Vehicles Directorate,
Kirtland AFB

Jennifer Talley, Munitions Directorate,
Eglin AFB

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Summer 2016 - Scholars

Matthias Banet, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Shaun Ard, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Cashwell, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Andres Jaramillo, Space Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Emily Kemp, Air Armament Scholar,
Eglin AFB

Nathan Ley, Air Armament Scholar, Eglin AFB

Quinter Nyland, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Ryan Phillips, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Ben Reifler, Phillips Space Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Matthew Schmidt, Space Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Naomi Schweitzer, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Sara Steele, Air Armament Scholar, Eglin AFB

Kimberly Stevens, Space Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Samantha Sword-Fehlberg, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Jessica Thompson, Air Armament Scholar, Eglin AFB

Jamie Varela, Phillips Space Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

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Summer 2016 - Mentors

Shaun Ard, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Karatholuvu Balasubramaniam, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Alan Lovell, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Lynn Neergaard, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB

Ben Pulford, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Julie Smith, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Mark Spencer, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

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Summer 2015 - Scholars

Ivan Dragulin, Phillips Space Scholar,
Kirtland AFB

Colleen Gross, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Ilya Krasnovsky, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Evan Lang, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Cody Mart, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Eamonn Moyer, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Tim Murphy, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Brian Ortiz, Air Armament Scholar, Eglin AFB

Kevin Schmittle, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Jimmy Stricklin, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Jessica Thompson, Air Armament Scholar, Eglin AFB

Damien Waden, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Sierra Walker, Air Armament Scholar,
Eglin AFB

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Summer 2015 - Mentors

Ken Blackburn, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB

Brien Flewelling, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Lt. Eli Garduno, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

David “Tony” Hostutler, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Adrian Lucero, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Lt. Jean Pierre, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

David Wilt, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

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Summer 2014 - Scholars

Emily Dreyer, Air Armament Scholar, Eglin AFB

Alex Englesbee, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Ilya Krasnovsky, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Evan Lang, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Abigail McCool, Air Armament Scholar, Eglin AFB

Joseph Neiger, Doolittle Scholar, Eglin AFB

Brad Sease, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

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Summer 2014 - Mentors

Rachel Abrahams, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB

Tim Fleming, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Brien Flewelling, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

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Summer 2013 - Scholars

Brian Anderson, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Thomas Babuska, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Ben Cooper, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Abrahm Diaz-Strandberg, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Brendan Lamarre, Phillips Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Cody Mart, Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Sally Smith, Space Scholar, Kirtland AFB

Wayne Stanton, Phillips Directed Energy Scholar, Kirtland AFB

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Summer 2013 - Mentors

Brad Hoff, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Seth Lacy, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Matthew Squires, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB

Nicholas Tarasenko, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB

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