AHS Announces $90,000 in Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships

FAIRFAX, Va., March 30, 2018 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- AHS International, The Vertical Flight Society, is pleased to announce its 2018 Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) scholarship recipients. Scholarships totaling $90,000 were awarded this year to 25 of the world's most talented engineering students interested in vertical flight.

"We are delighted to recognize 25 of the top engineering students from around the world," said AHS International Executive Director Mike Hirschberg. "Since 1977, our Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarships have helped inspire generations of students to pursue careers in vertical flight, with many now holding leadership positions in industry, academia and government."

The following are this year's awardees, who will be recognized at the AHS Grand Awards Banquet on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. The banquet is one of the highlights of the AHS International 74th Annual Forum & Technology Display at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

The top candidate in each category (marked below with an asterisk) has received special recognition. Each of the Bachelor scholarships includes a cash award of $3,000, while Mr. McElreath will receive $3,500 as the Joseph P. Cribbins Scholarship winner. The Masters and Doctorate scholarship winners receive $3,500, with Mr. Cornelius receiving $5,500 for the Bell Vertical Flight Scholarship and Mr. Vascik receiving the $6,500 Dr. Jing Yen Scholarship for Cost Awareness.

Bachelor Degree Recipients:

• Mr. Addison Flagle, Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Mr. James McElreath, Texas A&M University College Station* — Joseph P. Cribbins Memorial Scholarship, honoring the individual who had perhaps the most influence and long-term impact on US Army Aviation logistics in the 20th century
• Mr. Lorenzo Novoa, University of Texas Arlington
• Mr. Nathaniel Reed, Auburn University
• Mr. Peter Ryseck, University of Maryland
• Mr. Sourav Sinha, Indian Institute of Technology

 Master Degree Recipients:

• Mr. Jason Cornelius, Pennsylvania State University* — Bell Scholarship, provided by a generous VFF endowment from the company
• Mr. Brian Eberle, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Mr. Daniel Escobar, University of Maryland
• Mr. Bochan Lee, Texas A&M University College Station
• Mr. Michael McKay, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Ms. Wanyi Ng, University of Maryland
• Ms. Bernadine Passe, University of Maryland
• Mr. Max Daniel Sokollek, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Mr. Michael Trowbridge, Pennsylvania State University

Doctorate Degree Recipients:

• Mr. David A. Coleman, Texas A&M University College Station
• Mr. Roland Feil, Technical University of Munich
• Mr. Seyhan Gul, University of Maryland
• Mr. Ahmad Haidar, Pennsylvania State University
• Mr. Atanu Halder, Texas A&M University College Station
• Mr. Nicholson Koukpaizan, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Mr. Chams Eddine Mballo, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Ms. Stacy Sidle, University of Maryland
• Mr. Daiju Uehara, University of Texas Austin
• Mr. Parker Vascik, Massashusetts Institute of Technology* — Dr. Jing Yen VFF Scholarship for Cost Awareness, given to the most qualified applicant with interest in improving the affordability of rotorcraft

The VFF was established in 1967 as the philanthropic arm of AHS. Since 1977, the merit-based scholarship program has been a great success story: over 500 scholarships have been awarded since that time. The program has been greatly expanded in recent years, with the number of recipients nearly doubling in the last decade, and the total annual scholarship disbursement nearly tripling. Since 2012, more than 150 VFF scholarships totaling over $450,000 have been awarded — prior to this time, annual scholarships generally totaled about $33,000.

Last year, in honor of the VFF 50th Anniversary, AHS International kicked off an ongoing Capital Campaign to increase the size of its endowment, in the hopes that a sustained annual scholarship award level of $100,000 can be reached. For more information on the Vertical Flight Foundation or to donate to this important cause, please visit our VFF microsite at www.vtol.org/vff — donations can be designated for the 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign. A list of all past VFF scholarship winners and success stories are also available.

VFF and AHS are both recognized by the US Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)(3) charities. AHS International covers all overhead costs of administration and accounting, so 100% of every tax-deductible contribution to VFF goes directly to student scholarships. AHS also contributes a portion of its revenue to supplementing individual contributions. 

Founded in 1943 as the American Helicopter Society, Inc., AHS International, The Vertical Flight Society, is now the global resource for information on vertical flight technology. The Society advocates, promotes and supports global vertical flight technology and professional development.

AHS International — The Vertical Flight Society
2701 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 210, Fairfax, VA 22031 USA
phone: 1-703-684-6777; toll free: 1-855-AHS-INTL; fax: 1-703-739-9279
email: staff@vtol.org; website: www.vtol.org

Media Contact:Julie Gibbs, AHS International, 7036846777 x102, pr@vtol.org

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SOURCE AHS International