Posted May 31, 2022
Four MOVE students were named as recipients of the 2022 Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) Scholarships through the Vertical Flight Society. These awards recognize outstanding students working in vertical flight, with specific awards named in honor of different pioneers in the field. Alexander Stillman, Orazio Pinti, Neelanga Thelasingha, and Jonah Whitt will be recognized at the VFS Grand Awards Breakfast at the Vertical Flight Society's 78th Annual Forum and Technology Display in May 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Bachelor Degree Recipient
- Mr. Jonah Whitt: Bell Textron Scholarship, provided by a generous VFF endowment from the company and awarded to the top overall top-scoring winner. He has worked alongside Prof. Gandhi on the study “Effects of Damper Failure on Helicopter Ground Resonance.”
Master Degree Recipient
- Mr. Alexander Stillman: James Howlett Scholarship, named for the Sikorsky handling qualities and flight dynamics simulation leader and visionary. He works with Prof. Gandhi on research projects involving coaxial helicopters and wind turbines.
Doctorate Degree Recipients
- Mr. Neelanga Thelasingha: Robert Head Scholarship, honoring the engineering pioneer from McDonnell/Hughes/McDonnell Douglas/Boeing. He is working with Prof. Julius on optimal control and motion planning in autonomous systems like unmanned aerial vehicles.
- Mr. Orazio Pinti (University of Southern California): Walter J. Hodgson Scholarship, named for the late US Air Force and Hughes Helicopter test pilot. He works in tight collaboration with Prof. Gandhi’s Center for Mobility with Vertical Lift (MOVE) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.