ABOUT

Future Leaders in Aerospace

The Future Leaders in Aerospace Symposium aims to increase the participation of people underrepresented among Aerospace Engineering professionals in academia and industry. It will be hosted by the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro) on October 11-13, 2023. The event is co-sponsored by the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford, the Ann & H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, and the Penn State Department of Aerospace Engineering.

The three-day symposium will include a keynote address, round table discussions, and faculty panels, which will include topics such as:

  • The job search/interview process
  • Paths to academia and industry
  • Tenure and promotion
  • Work-life balance

Participants will be able to present their research to the attendees during “job talk starts,” gain career skills, engage with mentors, discuss emerging trends in aerospace engineering, and connect with a cohort of their peers.

Participants will be selected through a competitive application process. Applicants must be within 1-2 years of receiving their doctoral degree at the time of the workshop or must have received their PhD no earlier than 2021, and do not currently hold a faculty position. We expect that approximately 40 participants will be selected based on their academic excellence, interest in a research career in aerospace or related disciplines, and commitment to advancing equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage the participation of graduate students and postdocs from communities that have been underserved by academia.

Supported by
  • Steven R. H. Barrett
    Department Head, AeroAstro (interim)
    H.N. Slater Professor in Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT
  • Brian Argrow
    Schaden Leadership Professor and Chair, Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
  • Charbel Farhat
    Vivian Church Hoff Professor of Aircraft Structures, Chairman, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University
  • Amy Pritchett
    Professor and Department Head, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Penn State University