The Laureate Awards are presented by Aviation Week Network and the Ceremony Honors Outstanding Achievements in Aviation, Aerospace & Defense

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, February 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Four military academy cadets and 20 outstanding STEM students will be honored on March 6 at Aviation Week Network’s 67th Annual Laureate Awards (#AWLAUR). The event honors extraordinary achievements in the global aerospace arena and will take place at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

The “20 Twenties,” which was established in 2013 to recognize talented individuals on course to change the face of the aviation, aerospace and defense industry. Every year, Aviation Week Network inducts 20 of the brightest, most driven aerospace-bound STEM students in their 20s into the 20 Twenties program. Since its inception, the 20 Twenties program has honored 220 students. They were chosen from nominations submitted by 192 schools in 39 countries. Top-ranked in academics, they have articulated the value of their research and design projects, dealt with personal struggles, and established a record of giving back to their communities. Read more about them HERE.

The four military academy cadets who will receive Tomorrow's Leaders awards, which honors young men and women who have chosen career paths in the armed forces, are listed below. To view winners as selected by editors at Aviation Week Network, visit 2025 Laureate Awards.

Cadet Lieutenant Landon Taylor Cocker of the United States Military Academy. Cadet Lt. Landon Coker is Mechanical Engineering Major with a Minor in Aeronautical Engineering at the U.S. Military Academy. He serves at the Chief Engineer of the SPEAR-THOR capstone team whose mission is to design, build, and launch a two-stage hypersonic rocket. SPEAR-THOR launched two rockets in January 2025 that successfully exceeded the Karman line (100 km) and achieved Mach 7. Cadet Coker has spent the last three and a half years on the West Point Parachute Team, engaging in cooperative training, competition, outreach, and recruiting for the U.S. Military Academy. He spent an exchange semester U.S. Air Force Academy serving as a liaison to the USAFA and their parachute team. Cadet Coker will commission as an Aviation officer in May 2025.

Cadet First Class Arthur Jackson Rounaghi of the United States Air Force Academy. Cadet 1st Class Arthur Jackson Rounaghi is majoring in astronautical engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is the Chief Engineer of FalconSAT-11, a small satellite currently under development at USAFA’s Space System Research Center (SSRC). He performs research on sparse aperture applications of space systems and previously conducted research on radiation sensing dosimeters and on astrodynamics in geosynchronous orbit. Rounaghi spent last summer as an intern at the National Reconnaissance Office and assisted in the completion and launch vehicle integration of the SSRC’s FalconSAT-Xtra satellite. He currently serves as a Flight Commander in Cadet Squadron 36.

Midshipman First Class Zachary Tyler Branam of the United States Naval Academy. Midshipman First Class Zachary Tyler Branam was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio with his sister and brother, Madison and Austin, by his parents, Bill and Paula. He went to a small, private high school where he was involved in extracurricular activities such as the National Honors Society, a community service club, the basketball team, and the football team. He was honored by being named salutatorian within his graduating class and chose to continue my academic and football career at the United States Naval Academy. During my plebe year, he made the decision to become an aerospace engineering major. His football career at the academy was cut short after two years due to injury, but he continued to pursue his passion for aerospace engineering and has chosen to specialize in rotorcraft. Following graduation, he will commission as a Naval Aviator.

Cadet Third Class Walter “David” Ulmer III of the United States Coast Guard Academy. Walter "David" Ulmer III is a 3/c Cadet at the United States Coast Guard Academy, majoring in Electrical Engineering. Originally from Saint Augustine, FL, Walter attended Allen D. Nease High School before coming to the Academy. His passion for aviation began early when his father gifted him a discovery flight for his 12th birthday. Walter is currently pursuing his Private Pilot License and is part of the ground crew for the Academy’s flight team. As the Academy’s Aviation Simulator Coordinator, he leads efforts to maintain and enhance the flight simulator program, teaching cadets’ fundamental aviation skills and ensuring the simulators are operational for training. Beyond his aviation and academic pursuits, Walter is active in the Academy’s volleyball community, playing for both the indoor and beach volleyball clubs. He also participates in the Academy’s music programs as a bass player in the cadet jazz band, performing locally and across the East Coast, and as a snare drummer in the newly established Regimental Pipes and Drums. Upon graduation in 2027, Walter hopes to be selected for flight school, and eventually fly MH-60T Jayhawks for the Coast Guard and contribute to the search and rescue mission.

"We are delighted to honor these fine cadets who inspire others and represent the very best of tomorrow’s leaders,” said Aviation Week Editorial Director Joe Anselmo. "We are so inspired by the cadets and the outstanding 2025 class of 20 Twenties. The Laureate Awards honor pioneers and thought leaders in aviation and aerospace and these cadets will inspire others to strive for broad-reaching progress in aviation, aerospace and defense today and into the decades ahead.”

The Laureate Awards ceremony is one of the industry's premier events, attracting hundreds of industry pioneers and thought leaders from around the world. At the Awards Gala, nominees from four categories will be honored and a Grand Laureate in each category will be named from among the winners. The award categories are Commercial Aviation, Defense, Space, and Business Aviation. In addition, Aviation Week Network will bestow the Philip J. Klass Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The Laureates Awards Executive Sponsors are GE Aerospace and PwC and Sponsors are Airbus, Anduril, Lockheed Martin, and RTX..

ABOUT AVIATION WEEK NETWORK
Aviation Week Network is the largest multimedia information and services provider for the global aviation, aerospace, and defense industries, serving 1.7 million professionals around the world. Industry professionals rely on Aviation Week Network to help them understand the market, make decisions, predict trends, and connect with people and business opportunities. Customers include the world's leading aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, airlines, airports, business aviation operators, militaries, governments, and other organizations that serve this worldwide marketplace. Aviation Week Network’s portfolio delivers award-winning journalism, data, intelligence and analytical resources, world-class tradeshows and conferences, and results-driven marketing services and advertising. Our principle is helping our customers succeed.

Aviation Week Network is part of Informa Markets, a division of Informa PLC.

ABOUT INFORMA MARKETS
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The Buzz Agency
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Elizabeth@thebuzzagency.net
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