Awards

Each year, the AUVSI Foundation seeks to acknowledge and award outstanding individuals and organizations working to advance the unmanned systems industry. 

We are currently seeking nominations for the following award categories: Outstanding Contributor Award, Operations Award, Pioneer Award and the Academic Champion Award.

The deadline for nominations is extended until May 7, 2012. Submit your nomination now. Award recipients for these categories and AUVSI Chapter of the Year and Member of the Year will be announced during AUVSI's Unmanned Systems North America 2012 which will be held August 6-9th in Las Vegas.

Descriptions of the awards and a listing of past recipients can be found below.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outstanding Contributor Award
This award recognizes an AUVSI member who plays a pivotal role in the advancement of unmanned systems through promoting innovative ideas, creating new concepts, directing programs or being directly involved in unmanned systems development and operation. The recipient should be a leader in his/her industry and be dedicated to the promotion of unmanned technologies.

Submit your nomination now. 

Previous recipients of the Outstanding Contributor award include: 

• 2011 Colonel Karl Rozelsky, USAF and Captain Bob Dishman, USN
  
• 2010 RADM William E. Shannon, USN PEO(U&W)
• 2009 Robert A. K. Mitchell, Northrop Grumman
• 2008 Dr. Robin Murphy 
• 2007 Eduardo Yakin 
• 2006 Dr. Scott Fish 
• 2005 Kyle Swanson 
• 2004 Colonel Janice M. Morrow 
• 2003 Nicholas Yorio 
• 2002 Richard Alldredge 
• 2001 CAPT Lyn Whitmer

Pioneer Award 
This award distinguishes an AUVSI member or non-member whose innovative ideas and ground-breaking research have contributed to the development of outstanding unmanned systems. The recipient’s dedication to the advancement of unmanned systems is evident through his/her perseverance from the initial concept and design, through advanced testing and production, to the final delivery phase. 

Submit your nomination now. 

Previous recipients of the Pioneer Award include:

• 2011 Joseph J. Lusczek, Jr., USAF
  
• 2010 Frank Pace, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
• 2009 David Weiler, CDL Systems
• 2008 Douglas Thorp and the Close Range UAS Team - NAVAIR PMA-263 
• 2007 Allen Nease 
• 2006 Helen Greiner 
• 2005 Scott Myers 
• 2004 Dr. Dominic J. Palumbo and Helmut Portmann 
• 2003 Dr. Clint Kelly 
• 2002 Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr. 
• 2001 Colonel Lynch 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Operations Award
This award distinguishes an AUVSI member or non-member directly involved in the testing, evaluation and/or operational deployment of unmanned systems. Through directing operations for test programs or mission accomplishments and maintenance, the recipient should have an expertise in unmanned systems hardware such as vehicles, propulsion systems, guidance/control, electro-optics and launch and support equipment.

Submit your nomination now. 

Previous recipients of the Operations award include:

• 2011 Andrew Thurling, AeroVironment
  
• 2010 MSGT Donny Nickle, USAF, US Air Forces Special Operations Command
• 2009 LCDR Daniel Imbat, USN2008 Brent Cobleigh 
• 2007 CW3 James Harris 
• 2006 Col Edward Ward 
• 2005 Cliff Hudson 
• 2004 Major Kirk McCauley 
• 2003 Kenneth Sharp 
• 2002 Capt. Scott Swanson 
• 2001 Timothy Owings 

• 2011 Jonathan Fiene, University of Pennsylvania
• 2010 Dr. Arthur Reyes, University of Texas at Arlington (awarded posthumously)