AeroAstro’s 2025 Community Awards recognize outstanding leaders across the department

AeroAstro’s annual Community Recognition and Awards event honored exceptional individuals and teams for their contributions over the past year. Peers nominated colleagues for three signature awards: the Spirit of XVI Wings Award, the Upstander Award, and the Vickie Kerrebrock Awards. The celebration also recognized recipients of Institute-wide honors and offered a meaningful moment for the community to reflect on shared accomplishments.

Student group AeroAfro awarded Ciarra Ortiz special recognition, with one nominator saying that “Coming to the AeroAfro lunch meetings she organized and playing Bananagrams offered me a safe place to destress and enjoy myself during some very hectic days. Her efforts and passion for the AeroAfro community ensured that the organization remained active and welcoming. Furthermore, her success in her research pursuits also serves as an inspiration to others in the organization.”

The department Resources for Easing Friction and Stress (dREFS) group recognized Allan Shtofenmakher, Jasmine Aloor, Alex Meredith Rose, Sunbochen Tang, Mia Tian, and Jose Soto for their continued support of the graduate student community. 

Two members of the department earned school-level awards from the Graduate Student Council. This year’s Frank E. Perkins Award for Excellence in Graduate Advising in the School of Engineering was awarded to Professor Carmen Guerra-Garcia for consistently putting students in the limelight over herself. In the words of one student, “Carmen’s contributions to my life as a graduate student have helped to shape my career and work ethic, and she is the reason I chose to stay for a PhD at MIT.”

PhD student Ryan de Freitas Bart received the Irwin Sizer Award for the Most Significant Improvement to MIT Education for his work as teaching assistant for the course 15.066 System Optimization and Analysis for Operations over Summer 2024. Ryan’s innovation in teaching was evident in how he reimagined the traditional role of a TA and created a dynamic learning environment that went beyond typical expectations. He did not simply deliver information, but actively engaged with students to ensure they could connect the material to real-world applications. 

The department’s internal awards were presented to the following:

The Spirit of XVI Wings Award: Rachael Draper, Academic Programs Specialist
From her nomination: “Rachael has consistently been there to help students and her colleagues. She’s wonderful to work with and has the gift of making everyone she interacts with feel like they are in good hands.”

The Upstander Award: Kristen Ammons, graduate student in STAR Lab
From their nomination: “It’s hard to believe with various roles across the department that Kristen still has time for study. Over the last couple of years as a diversity scholar, GWAE president and GSA rep, and recent organizer of the students’ Stand Up for Science efforts, they are incredibly hard working and always manage to be cheerful and work tirelessly for the community. This person cares deeply about social justice and is the model of the kind of student and overall community member we need in these difficult times.”

The Vickie Kerrebrock Awards, presented to graduate and undergraduate students, staff, faculty, researchers, and postdocs, were given to:

• Undergraduate: MIT Rocket Team Leadership, for their outreach efforts in sharing the spirit of Course 16 with the wider MIT community.
• Graduate: Marlene Euchenhofer, with nominators saying that “her dedication to creating a welcoming atmosphere is evident in the variety of activities she has organized, from social gatherings to hands-on workshops that spark creativity and collaboration among students. She actively seeks input from her peers to ensure that each event resonates with their interests, making participation enjoyable and meaningful.”
• Administrative Staff: Kaylie Knowlton, Human Resources Coordinator, for “bringing her exceptionally positive nature and dedication to the people in our department. She considers the well-being of our staff members, especially, and plans thoughtful gatherings and events to acknowledge all of us.”
• Support Staff: Frances Marrone, Administrative Assistant, whose nominators wrote that “she embodies the heart that drives the mind and hand of AeroAstro. Over the last three years, I’ve witnessed how she  goes above and beyond for students and faculty. She is consistently kind, empathetic, and deeply supportive. Her care extends well beyond her formal duties; she binds ESL together. She always makes time to listen, offer advice, and help students navigate both personal and academic challenges….She is a powerful champion of inclusion, ensuring that all voices are heard. She is long overdue for recognition, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of the Vickie Kerrebrock Award.”
• Faculty: Professor Zachary Cordero, whose nominators said “Since this person arrived on campus just a few years ago, his upbeat attitude and energy have been an overwhelmingly positive presence in the department. This year having taken on mentorship of the Rocket Team, launched a very well-received and engaging new class for the students, and is always willing to do more for the department. He is a model [junior] faculty member, and generally just a really great guy.”
• Researcher: George Lordos, with nominators reflecting that “His passion for the department is infectious. He approaches tasks and group initiatives with an obvious love that motivates and inspires his colleagues. He is quick to volunteer, has community-focused ideas and is a great friend to work with.”