AEM Professor John Weyrauch is Recipient of 2016 IEEE Kershner Award
Industrial Professor of Design, John Weyrauch was awarded the Kershner Award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The prestigious award was presented at the PLANS 2016 conference, which took place April 11-14 in Savannah, Georgia. The Kershner Award has been presented by the PLANS Executive Committee since 1986, and is awarded every two years. The purpose is "to recognize individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the technology of navigation and position equipment, systems, or practices."
The award is named for Dr. Richard B. Kershner (1913-1982) who was a founder of Transit, the world's first navigation satellite system. Kershner exemplified the high standard of personal and professional performance which the award intends to recognize. During his time as leader of the Transit Program, "Dr. Kershner directed the development and launch of some of the world's first satellites, developed user equipment for both submarines and surface ships, and founded the science of satellite Doppler geodesy to improve knowledge of the earth's gravity field. The result was a navigation satellite system which served the U.S. Navy and tens of thousands of civil users worldwide." The IEEE recognizes those who, like Kershner, have made significant contributions to the modern era of electronic navigation.
Professor John Weyrauch was honored with the award for his contributions to the field of electronic navigation and development of advanced navigation technologies. These technologies include the path planning and control for the re-entry and landing of the NASA Space Shuttle, as well as navigation systems for missiles; projectiles; and commercial and military aircraft. He is also recognized for his work as an educator and mentor who has trained and inspired many navigation engineers; and as an active participant in industry related education and outreach.
In response to receiving the award, Professor Weyrauch says, "I was very pleased to receive the award. I have had the good fortune to work with many of the previous award winners."
Professor Weyrauch serves as the Industrial Professor of Design for the AEM Department, which involves teaching and consulting for AEM design classes. He uses his 40 years of industry experience in aerospace research and product development to help students determine the best ways to execute design projects and how to develop good team working relationships. He has worked for four major aerospace companies in his industrial career: McDonnell Douglas, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, and Alliant Techsystems.
Information obtained from https://www.ion.org/plans/awards-kersher.cfm