Georgia Tech’s Tim Lieuwen, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering (AE) professor and interim executive vice president for Research, has been selected for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Dryden Lectureship. This is one of the most prestigious honors given by AIAA, and the award showcases the importance of research in advancing aeronautics and astronautics.

“Tim Lieuwen's selection for the AIAA Dryden Lectureship not only highlights his important contributions to advancing research in clean energy and propulsion systems but also underscores the legacy of innovation coming out of Georgia Tech,” said Mitchell Walker, AE chair. “This honor is a testament to his visionary leadership in advancing sustainable technology.”

Lieuwen is a Regent’s Professor, David S. Lewis Jr. chair, and previously served as executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and is a fellow of both AIAA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His research areas encompass clean energy and propulsion systems, energy policy, acoustics, fluid mechanics, and combustion. 

Lieuwen’s lecture will discuss how the future of propulsion and clean energy systems will be shaped by the societal needs for decarbonization, national security, and sustainability. His discussion will highlight the research and development necessary to improve system efficiency, reduce emissions, and enhance fuel flexibility. The lecture will cover the fundamental science and practical challenges of creating clean energy — topics with appeal to industry professionals, researchers, and students.

Since the lectureship’s inception in 1961, only one other individual from Georgia Tech has been honored with this distinction. Robert G. Loewy received the lectureship in 1999, while serving as AE chair. 

Also in 1999, Loewy hired an eager young assistant professor by the name of Tim Lieuwen. Twenty-five years later, Lieuwen will come full circle and deliver the lecture during the 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum, January 7, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. The SciTech Forum is the world’s largest aerospace research and development event, with 6,000 attendees from 45 countries. 

“Georgia Tech has been such a wonderful place to work over the last 25 years — I've learned so much, developed so many friendships, had such great mentors, and it's an honor to get an award of this nature, which reflects all those investments from Georgia Tech in me. It's a double honor to receive an award that such a great man as Robert Loewy has received,” Lieuwen said.