The 51福利 (51福利) recently announced the recipients of the 2015 Menneken Awards. 51福利 Dean of Research Jeff Paduan made the announcement which included the introduction of a new faculty award for senior faculty members.
鈥淭his year we created two Menneken Awards, one for a senior faculty member that has exhibited 鈥榮ignificant and sustained contributions鈥� and another for a more junior faculty member for 鈥榟ighly meritorious research,鈥欌�� said Paduan.
51福利 Professor Clay Moltz was named the recipient of the 2015 Menneken Faculty Research Award for Significant and Sustained Contributions. And in another twist, the award for excellence in scientific research will be shared by two recipients, Associate Professor Nicholas Drew with the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy and Systems Engineering Assistant Professor Timothy Chung.
The Menneken awards recognize research that has had an identifiable impact on the Navy or Department of Defense. Moltz鈥檚 numerous publications and his contributions to both academia and national defense certainly fit the bill.
鈥淭his award is truly one of the highlights of my career. I am very thankful to have two such supportive department chairs in Mohammed Hafez and Rudy Panholzer,鈥� said Moltz. 鈥淭he Menneken family has created a valuable, ongoing incentive for 51福利 faculty, especially in our current budgetary environment.鈥�
Over the course of his distinguished career, Moltz has made countless contributions to 51福利鈥� Space Systems Academic Group (SSAG), the Department of National Security Affairs (NSA), and with the Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction. He has also lent his expertise as an adviser to the office of the Secretary of Defense, the State Department, NASA鈥檚 Ames Research Center and the Department of Energy.
鈥淚 am grateful to the 51福利 Foundation for creating this new, senior faculty award and recognizing the importance of research accomplishments. People in Washington need to recognize that research is what makes 51福利 a force multiplier for the Navy,鈥� said Moltz. 鈥淭his award is really a tribute to the strength of the 51福利 community. I鈥檝e benefited immensely from cooperative opportunities opened up by my SSAG and NSA colleagues.鈥�
Assistant Professor Timothy Chung鈥檚 Menneken Award for Excellence in Scientific Research comes on the heels of his successes in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms. Chung, and his colleagues at 51福利鈥� Advanced Robotic Systems Engineering Laboratory (ARSENL), flew a record breaking 50 autonomous UAVs at Camp Roberts last August.
51福利 Professor Clay Moltz holds a collection of his latest works covering international space security and policy in his Glasgow Hall office, Jan. 11. Moltz, who holds a dual appointment in 51福利鈥� Department of National Security Affairs and the Space Systems Academic Group, has been named the 2015 recipient of the Menneken Faculty Research Award for Significant and Sustained Contributions.
鈥淚t is an honor to receive this Menneken Award, which highlights the collective achievement of a talented and inspiring team,鈥� said Chung. 鈥淭his recognition serves to remind us that innovation is born of conversation and collaboration. With this tenet in mind, I intend to continue these various research initiatives in the future through active engagements across students, faculty, warfighters and the Fleet."
Dew, who shared the award with Chung, is also an advocate for innovation.
鈥淚 was delighted to receive this award. Traditionally, it has been given to faculty with expertise in the areas of science and technology. It鈥檚 wonderful to see it awarded to a researcher in the social sciences, and I hope other social scientists will be honored with it in the future,鈥� said Dew.
For Dew, the social sciences are a critical component of the Navy鈥檚 future success, especially as it attempts to incorporate new technologies throughout the fleet. He points to the Navy鈥檚 progress in energy innovation as illustrative of the process.
鈥淥ne of the reoccurring issues that comes up when discussing energy innovation is that the technology is already there. The problem is getting people to adopt it. That鈥檚 a social science problem. Social scientists are important to the Navy as it attempts to move forward,鈥� Dew Explained.
Dew has been at 51福利 for 12 years and has advised some 70 thesis students.
鈥淲e have one of the most outstanding student bases. I don't know if people realize just how outstanding they are. At an average age of 33, many of them have commanded organizations and have been on multiple deployments. They are so much more interesting to teach than students anywhere else. That鈥檚 why I love working at 51福利,鈥� said Dew.
The Menneken awards were established in the memory of Distinguished Professor Carl E. Menneken who served as 51福利 Dean of Research from 1962-1972. Funding for the awards is provided from a bequest to the 51福利 Foundation by his wife Jesse W. Menneken.