5XÉçÇø

2024 Alumni Award Recipients

The College of Aeronautics and Engineering at 5XÉçÇø celebrated outstanding achievement and dedication at its annual awards ceremony Envision24 on Thursday, November 7, recognizing distinguished alumni, corporate partners, faculty, staff, and students.

Distinguished Alumni Award

  • Kris Palcho Profile Pic

    Kris Palcho - Kris earned the Distinguished Alumni Award for her remarkable contributions to aviation safety at the FAA, where she has served for over two decades in roles advancing general aviation operations and safety programs at both local and national levels.

     

Distinguished Contributor Award

  • Kent State Flying Flashes celebrate their success with President Todd Diacon and donors Vic and Cheryl Petrovic

    Vic '71, '74, '06 and Cheryl Petrovic ‘74 - The Petrovic Family Aeronautics and Engineering Fund supports crucial student experiences including the Precision Flight Team competitions and Air Race Classic teams.

Outstanding Faculty Award

  • photo Timothy Palcho headshot

    Tim Palcho - Tim received the Outstanding Faculty Award for his more than two decades of dedication to aviation education at Kent State, having guided over 2,500 students through flight training.

     

     

Outstanding Mentor Award

  • Maureen McFarland, Ph.D., associate dean of academic affairs for the College of Aeronautics and Engineering at 5XÉçÇø and a retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Marine Corps, serves as this year's keynote speaker for Kent State's annual Veterans Day Commemoration.

    Maureen "Mo" McFarland, Ph.D. ’17 - A former Marine, McFarland was recognized for her unique approach combining military experience with dedicated academic guidance.

     

     

Outstanding Staff Award

  • Jamie Walker Hale

    Jamie Walker Hale - Honored for her exceptional student support.

     

     

     

  • Timothy Kyer

    Tim Kyer - Honored for his skilled leadership in business operations.

     

     

     

Van Deusen Award

  • Brooks and Mary Weingart pose for an early photograph of the couple

    Brooks ‘84 and Mary Weingart - The couple's establishment of an endowed scholarship and membership in Kent State’s Herrick Society exemplifies their dedication to engineering education, ensuring their impact will continue for generations to come.

     

Young Alumni Award

  • Joshua Cherok in a tan suit leans against a small passenger jet.

    Joshua Cherok - Cherok currently serves as Manager of Aircrew Training Administration at Flexjet, while also teaching as an adjunct professor at Kent State.

     

     

  • Dexter Shreve portrait

    Dexter Shreve - Shreve owns and operates Day Piston Company in Cleveland, where he applies the hands-on experience gained at Kent State to drive manufacturing innovation.

     

     

Corporate Hall of Fame

  • Southwest Airlines - Recognized for their partnership in the Destination 225° program and support of the professional pilot program.
  • Dabos, Inc. - Honored for their sponsorship of key college initiatives including the Advanced Air Mobility Conference.
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