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Michelle Lohmeier, Raytheon Missile Systems Vice President of Land Warfare Systems was the keynote speaker and spoke highly of the talented award winners.

“I am amazed at the talent sitting in this room. It’s clear that you all are extremely intelligent, and not only have the knowledge in the fields of technology and engineering, but a dedicated passion for it as well.”

The Twenty20s program connects the next generation of aerospace and defense talent with established leaders who have created many of the “firsts” driving innovation in the 21st century. Winners were selected from among the top engineering schools nationwide – California Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Arizona, University of Colorado and University of Michigan to name a few.

“Only 20 people in our nation win this. It’s really a big deal,” said Daniel Lubey, PhD candidate and MS in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado.

Two of the recipients Gaines Gibson and Adriana Parra both spent last summer working as interns at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Ariz. Gaines explored different aspects of the Mechanical Subsystems Directorate, while Adrianna worked on Standard Missile torque motors in the company’s Operations Manufacturing Test Center. Both Gaines and Adriana are pursuing Aerospace Engineering degrees at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, respectively.

“Being selected as one of the Twenty20s pushes me to achieve greater heights in school and in my career. This award showed me the true potential I have to become an engineer,” Parra said.

Raytheon’s partnership with Aviation Week provides university students with timely perspective on the vast array of STEM-related career opportunities ahead and an in-depth understanding of the aerospace and defense industry as they prepare to enter the workforce. The University Program began in July with the launch of the complimentary digital subscriptions in partnership with the engineering deans at more than 1,500 universities like California Polytechnic State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, University of Arizona, and University of Tennessee.

2013 Twenty20s include:

• Paul Anderson: BS Aerospace Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and PhD candidate Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado
• Caue Sciascia Borlina: BS candidate in Aerospace Engineering, minor in Physics, University of Michigan
• Bradley Cheetham: BS Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, SUNY Buffalo; MS Aerospace Engineering Science, University of Colorado; PhD candidate Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado
• Travis Edwards: BS Mechanical Engineering and MS candidate in Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina
• Ryan Endres: BS candidate Aerospace Engineering, Minor in Mathematics, University of Kansas
• Jake Gamsky: BS Physics, University of Kentucky; MS and PhD candidate Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado
• Gaines Gibson: BS candidate in Aerospace Engineering, Arizona State University
• Erin Griggs: BS/MS Mathematical and Computer Sciences, Colorado School of Mines; PhD candidate, Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado
• Kenneth Hart: BS Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland College Park; MS/PhD candidate Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Yayu Monica Hew: BS Aerospace Engineering and Physics, University of Texas-Arlington; MS candidate, Stanford University
• Kirstyn Johnson: BS and MS candidate Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado
• Linda Kuenzi: BS candidate Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics), Arizona State University
• Michael Lotto: BS candidate Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado
• Daniel Lubey: BS Aerospace Engineering with minor in Astrophysics and Certificate in Space Systems, Pennsylvania State University; PhD candidate and MS in Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado
• Adriana Parra: BS candidate Aerospace Engineering, University of Arizona
• Daniel T. Prosser: BS and MS Mechanical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology; PhD candidate Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Jason Rabinovitch: BS Mechanical Engineering, Yale University; MS Aerospace Engineering, California Institute of Technology; MS Fluid Mechanics, Ecole Polytechnique (Paris); PhD candidate Aeronautics, California Institute of Technology
• Edward Rocco: BS candidate Aerospace Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
• Sandro Salgueiro Rodrigues Filho: BSE candidate, Aerospace and Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan
• Michal Talmor: IDF School for Computer Science, Israel; BS Aerospace and Robotics Engineering, minor in Astrophysics, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; PhD candidate Mechanical Engineering, WIP