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Alumni, faculty, family, and friends took part in the 2026 AeroBuffs Club Alumni Banquet and Awards Ceremony Friday.Ìý

The Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences recognized eight graduates and two retiring faculty members during the event at the Hotel Boulderado on April 3.

The AeroBuffs Club Alumni Academy inductees are being recognized for work in business, civil, and military aerospace spheres.Ìý

“These honorees are both established leaders and rising stars across aerospace engineering science," said Hanspeter Schaub, professor and chair of Smead Aerospace. "We're excited to recognize these individuals for their achievements and what they've given to aerospace engineering and sciences. They represent the best of our field, solving big challenges and pushing the limits of what is possible in aerospace engineering sciences."

Alumni were recognized in three categories:

Outstanding Alumni for Excellence in Commercial Enterprise

Over 40

Jonathan Fentzke (AeroEngr PhD’09) –ÌýA pioneering entrepreneur, Fentzke has founded three companies and mentored over 500 more, helping businesses develop. Fentzke is also named on six patents and has coauthored dozens of research publications.

Outstanding Alumni for Excellence in Public Service

Over 40 Category

Andrew Adams (AeroEngr BS’91, MS’93) –ÌýA senior advisor at the Aerospace Corporation, Adams is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School with decades of experience in the military and private sector as an expert in national space systems and cybersecurity.

Erica Rodgers (AeroEngr BS’98, MS’00) –ÌýWith over 25 years of experience in spaceflight missions, research, and design, Rodgers has provided her expertise to multiple businesses, laboratories, and NASA. She now serves in a leading role at the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Center for National Security Initiatives.

Colonel James Voss (Ret.) (AeroEngr MS’74, Honorary PhD’00) –ÌýA veteran of five NASA Space Shuttle flights, Voss has spent more than 200 days in space. His career has taken him from U.S. Army Ranger School, to the astronaut program, business, and the world of education, including 15 years teaching classes at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý.

Excellence in Technical Achievement and Leadership

Over 40 Category

James W. Young III (AeroEngr BS’88, MS’89) –ÌýA pilot’s pilot, Young has over 14,000 hours of flight experience across 200 different aircraft types, from small Cessnas to the Boeing 747. He is an FAA Designated Engineering Representative Flight Test Pilot, and is the president and chief test pilot of Mmo Aviation Services.

David Klaus (AeroEngr MS’91, PhD’94) –ÌýWith decades of experience in research and education, Klaus has made his mark. As creator of the Bioastronautics Focus Area within Smead Aerospace, Klaus has advised or taught over 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students and been part of dozens of orbital payloads.

Bryant Loomis (AeroEngr MS’05, PhD’09) –ÌýA geodesy leader, Loomis serves as lab chief at the NASA Goddard Planetary Geodynamics Laboratory and has played key roles on an array of earth science missions, including the GRACE, GRACE-FO, and ICESat-2 satellites.

Under 40 Category

Dylan Boone (AeroEngr MS’11, PhD’13) –ÌýA navigation team chief at NASA JPL, Boone has played a major role in the Europa Clipper Mission for over 10 years and has also been part of orbit determination on the Cassini Saturn Probe and New Horizons Missions.

Retiring Faculty

In addition to alumni, two faculty members were also recognized for distinguished service to the department and University of Colorado Boulder.

• Emeritus Professor Jeff Forbes - 32 years in Smead Aerospace, including four years as department chair.
• Emeritus Professor Jeff Thayer - 26 years in Smead Aerospace, including five years as director of the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research and eight years as faculty director of the Space Weather Technology, Research and Education Center.

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