In Recognition of Aeronautics Excellence
After more than a decade of research in the field, ̳ Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Scott Dawson an associate fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics in its Class of 2026.
“It’s an honor to be elected...an honor to be recognized for my research and contributions to the field, which I look forward to continuing,” says Dawson, who joined Armour College of Engineering in 2019.
According to the AIAA, being elected as an associate fellow recognizes individuals “who have accomplished or been in charge of important engineering or scientific work, or who have done original work of outstanding merit, or who have otherwise made outstanding contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics.”
To be selected as an AIAA associate fellow, an individual must be a senior member in good standing with at least 12 years of professional experience and be recommended by three AIAA members. Dawson first joined the organization in 2015 while he was still a grad student, and had already been conducting research in the field for years. He also served on the AIAA’s Fluid Dynamics Technical Committee and was a chair or co-chair of technical discussion groups at AIAA conferences.
“This distinguished group of professionals has performed extraordinary work and advanced the state of science and technology in aeronautics and astronautics. They exemplify a dedication to excellence in their specific technical disciplines,” AIAA President Dan Hastings said in a written statement of the 2026 class.
Dawson’s most recent research relates to fluid mechanics and aerodynamics, in particular coming up with simple models for highly complex fluid and aerodynamic flows.
Last year, Dawson received a five-year grant from the United States Department of Energy for an ongoing project that aims to use advances in mathematical methods for predicting and approximating coherent features within fluid flows. The research could potentially help optimize designs in a range of applications including aircraft, boats, HVAC ducts, wind turbines, and more, leading to energy savings.
Dawson is also involved in research grants with the National Science Foundation and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
Image: (Left to right) Ahmed El-Nadi (Ph.D. MAE Candidate), Min-Lin Tsai (Ph.D. MAE Candidate), and Assistant Professor Scott Dawson.
