Community Award Nomination Form
The Awards and Recognition Program encourages AeroAstro community members to publicly recognize outstanding work and service to the department, and expresses gratitude for help and support. Nominations are usually solicited in late winter/early spring and award recipients will be acknowledged during the department’s annual department ceremony, usually held in May. Many of the awards are underwritten by the Vickie Kerrebrock Award Fund. Vickie was the wife of longtime AeroAstro faculty member and department head Professor Jack Kerrebrock. We honor Vickie’s memory for the endless kindness and compassion she offered the department’s students, staff, and faculty.
Award Categories
All current members of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics are welcome to submit a nomination. Please note that individuals cannot nominate themselves, and a team member cannot nominate their own team. Winners from the previous year are not eligible to win the same award but may be nominated for another award category.
The Spirit of XVI Wings Award
- Eligibility: Individual staff members or team of staff members
- Description: This award recognizes the day-brighteners, the process-improvers, and the leaders of the charge whose unending enthusiasm and a high caliber of work enable the community to thrive. Whether their role is front-and-center or more behind-the-scenes, this person (or team of people) embodies our shared commitment to our mission, vision, and values, and has had a positive impact on the department. The recipient of the Spirit of XVI Wings Award consistently exceeds expectations, demonstrates leadership to the benefit of others, and has made exceptional contributions that significantly improved processes or quality of life for their office, their lab(s), or the department as a whole.
The Upstander Award
- Eligibility: All (undergraduate students, graduate students, administrative/technical staff, support staff, faculty member, and postdoc/researcher)
- Description: This award recognizes an individual champion of inclusivity. The recipient uses their voice to uplift others, facilitates thoughtful discussions about building a welcoming community and creating a sense of belonging, and is a leader who speaks and acts in support of a cause that aligns with our mission, vision, and values — even when it is challenging. The Upstander demonstrably embodies our core belief central to our values: ethics and integrity are fundamental to everything that we do.
The Vickie Kerrebrock Awards
- Eligibility: All (undergraduate students, graduate students, administrative/technical staff, support staff, faculty members, and postdocs/researchers)
- Description: Named in memory of Vickie Kerrebrock, the late first wife of the late Professor Jack Kerrebrock who was a tireless advocate for community-building, this award recognizes members of the community who embody “the heart” that drives “the mind and hand” of AeroAstro. A total of six awards are given to recognize an individual or team in each of the following categories: undergraduate students, graduate students, administrative/technical staff, support staff, faculty members, and postdocs/researchers. Recipients of the Vickie Kerrebrock Award have made significant contributions toward building a sense of community in AeroAstro in a way that is unique to their role within the Department, going above and beyond the important service they provide by recognizing the humanity behind the technical excellence that drives us. They are known to foster interpersonal connection among the people they work closely with, taking special care to uplift their colleagues and peers so that everyone feels valued for their contributions while inspiring positive teamwork and collaboration.
Please find all past award recipients here.