Aviation Week Network, today announces the winners of the 2021 20 Twenties Awards program, sponsored by Hexcel. 

Now in its 8th year, the prestigious awards program received a total of 553 nominations from exceptional students worldwide earning university STEM degrees and awarded 160 of them as 20 Twenties winners.   

A total of 136 different colleges and universities around the world have participated in the program since 2013 by nominating students on the basis of their academic performance, broader civic contribution, and the value of their research or design project. 

Most importantly, the program brings together technology hiring managers, students, and faculty worldwide to recognize what’s needed for business and academic growth and success. The students begin building a network comprised of the technical experts who have built the industry, the universities gain visibility for high-quality education provided to the students, and hiring managers gain knowledge about the best of the best in the next generation of aerospace talent.

“These students are the future of aerospace & defense, and their innovative work to solve challenges within our industry is both inspiring and commendable,” said Greg Hamilton, President of Aviation Week Network. “We look forward to celebrating their talents in October, and further supporting their professional growth with industry intelligence and research, events, career connections, free student subscriptions, and an online community.” 

This year’s recognition program had 61 qualified nominees from 26 different universities representing five countries. In an industry still heavily dominated by men, the nomination pool was roughly an equal split with half of the nominees identifying as male, and half identifying as female. The winners will be honored during Aviation Week Network’s 64th Annual Laureate Awards and Dinner on October 18 at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in McLean, VA, in conjunction with the 2021 DefenseChain Conference. 

The 2021 20 Twenties winners and Universities are (in alphabetical order):

•    Michaela Adams, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
•    Rachel Cueva, University of Maryland
•    Daniel Gochenaur, Purdue University
•    Shreyasvi Gowda, Cornell University
•    Niloy Gupta, University of Maryland
•    Logan Hill, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
•    Oscar Klempay, Georgia Institute of Technology
•    Caroline Kren, Purdue University
•    Justin Lidard, Princeton University
•    Emma Markovich, University of Colorado Boulder
•    Zachary Marshall, Purdue University
•    Madeline McQueen, Ryerson University
•    Shlok Misra, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
•    Julie Pham, University of Texas at Austin
•    Kriston Ramdass, Pennsylvania State University
•    Swati Ravi, Columbia University
•    Rikhi Roy, Georgia Institute of Technology
•    Ryan Strelau, Purdue University
•    Ryan Udell, Rice University
•    Emily Williams, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

The 20 Twenties program is a significant part of Aviation Week Network’s workforce initiative that continues to cultivate, inform, and inspire the next generation of aerospace & defense professionals. The workforce initiative includes the following opportunities for students and young professionals:

•    20 Twenties Program
•    Aerospace Maintenance Competition
•    AOCS – Aerospace on Campus Series
•    College/University Partnership Program
•    University Outreach Program:
    • Free digital subscriptions
    • Internship Program focusing on recruitment from vocational colleges and      HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
•    New Generation Leaders Workforce Study and related content in publications, websites, and conference sessions

For more information about 20 Twenties Awards or the workforce initiative, please contact Erving Dockery at 
[email protected].