Congratulations, Avin Vijay, on receiving the 2021 Aerospace Outreach Champion Award! Avin won the individual award for his efforts to inspire students to pursue STEM career fields with the Aerospace Teaching Academy
Avin began leading the Aerospace Teaching Academy in January of 2020 with the mission of inspiring high school students in the metro Detroit area to pursue STEM fields with a series of bi-weekly seminars with the showcase, “Cool things at U-M Aero.” By identifying high schools that have been historically under-represented in STEM, the Aerospace Teaching Academy which was founded by Prof. Tony Waas, aims to increase students’ knowledge and interest in the field of Aerospace Engineering. The volunteer graduate students have had success reaching students at the Davis Aerospace High School in Detroit with whom they have shared their knowledge about the aerospace industry, their personal research, and the available opportunities in Aerospace Engineering.
Due to Avin’s successful efforts of sharing Aerospace education at Davis Aerospace High School, he has been recognized with the 2021 Aerospace Outreach Champions Award.
The Aerospace Outreach Champions award recognizes exceptional achievement in spreading awareness of Aerospace Engineering with people and communities outside the department. Recipients have demonstrated a passion for such outreach and conducted projects with a wide impact in the communities in which they take place. Outreach efforts have additionally been conducted with a consideration of diversity, equity and conclusion. The awards are funded by François-Xavier Bagnoud Flight Vehicle Institute, with the selection process administered by the Aerospace Outreach Committee, chaired by Kimberly Johnson, Strategic Outreach Manager.
Avin is also in his fifth year of completing his PhD in AerospaceEngineering at the University of Michigan. Avin also received his Dual Masters degree in Aerospace Structures and Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2014, and he received his Bachelor’s of Technology in Civil Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka, India. Currently, he works under the advisorship of department chair Prof. Tony Waas at the Composite Structures Laboratory to conduct research on aerospace structures and optimization for lightweight materials.
