Associate Professor Jeffrey Kauffman has been selected for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) 2024 Class of Associate Fellows. This distinction is awarded to individuals who have contributed significant work of merit to the field.
“It’s an honor to be selected as an Associate Fellow, and humbling, too — many collaborators and students have played key roles in advancing the research,” Kauffman says. “I love working with and mentoring our students, and I look forward to them launching their own engineering careers.”
To be selected for this honor, an individual must have at least 12 years of experience in the field, be a senior member of AIAA in good standing and receive three nominations. Kauffman’s nominations highlight his achievements as both a researcher and educator.
Kauffman joined UCF in 2012 as an assistant professor and currently serves as the director of the aerospace engineering program. As a researcher, he is known for his work in structural dynamics and adaptive structures. He has published a number of journal articles on vibration reduction techniques, the transient dynamics of variable-stiffness systems and damping models for spacecraft cabling. He has also garnered more than $3.4 million in research funding.
As an educator, Kauffman has taught more than 2,000 students and received awards for his teaching. He also co-leads the Hypersonic, Propulsive, Energetic and Reusable Programs (HYPER) Research Experience for Undergraduates sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Department of Defense. To date, 60 students from across the U.S. have completed the program.
The newly appointed associate fellow has also been an active member of the AIAA Adaptive Structures Technical Committee, for which he currently serves as vice chair. He previously chaired the 2019 and 2023 technical conferences at the AIAA SciTech Forum, and authored the year-in-review article for Aerospace America, the AIAA magazine, for the past three years.
Kauffman is one of 130 associate fellows who will be inducted at the 2024 AIAA Associate Fellows Induction Ceremony and Reception. The event will take place during the AIAA SciTech Forum at the Hyatt Regency in January.
“The AIAA Associate Fellows personify the innovation that drives our industry forward,” says Dan Dumbacher, the AIAA executive director, in a release. “The members of the Class of 2024 Associate Fellows embody the ingenuity and commitment that are crucial for developing solutions to the complex questions raised across the aerospace community. On behalf of the Institute, we recognize the families, friends, and colleagues who support the Associate Fellows as they contribute in such a meaningful way to the aerospace community.”
- Written by Marisa Ramiccio