Northrop Grumman employees and project teams were recognized for their outstanding engineering contributions by the San Fernando Valley Engineers’ Council during the organization’s 57th annual honors and awards banquet.
“Northrop Grumman emphasizes the value of performance, but a critical component of that is the value of our employees and the important contributions that they make on a daily basis,” said Liz Iversen, sector vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman’s Navigation Systems Division (NSD). “These exemplary employees uphold Northrop Grumman’s core values through their emphasis on innovation, technical knowledge, superior quality and customer satisfaction.”
The Engineers’ Council, an independent, nonprofit group dedicated to advancing the art and science of engineering, presented the awards at a banquet celebrating the recent National Engineers Week to the following employees:
- Michael Curtin, of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Melbourne, Fla., earned a Distinguished Engineering Achievement and Engineering Education Award for consistent achievement in radio frequency communications design and implementation, mentoring and community service.
- Robert Griffin, an engineer at NSD, received an Engineering Achievement Merit Award for “innovation, dedication, contributions and achievement in furthering the development of inertial instruments and sensors.”
- Jonathan Lincoln, a systems engineer at NSD, received a Distinguished Engineering Achievement Award for “contributions to the development, analysis and design of inertial navigation and global positioning systems, software, algorithms, and Kalman filters.”
- Theresa Rockey, also a systems engineer at NSD, received a Distinguished Engineering Achievement Award for “contributions to the field of navigation, including inertial instruments, inertial and inertial/GPS navigation systems and for excellence in customer support.”
- Philip W. Saunders of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems received an Outstanding Engineering Achievement Merit Award in recognition of groundbreaking work in the development of flight control systems for tailless flying wing aircraft, and in the design, development and certification of revolutionary unmanned aircraft
Thirteen Northrop Grumman-led teams were also honored with Distinguished Project awards for stellar work on:
- CAMS Mk. II/Iia Simulator
- Global Hawk 25KVA Generator
- Global Hawk Block 20 Durability and Damage Tolerance Analysis
- Global Hawk Block 40 Flight Test
- Global Hawk Block 40 Lab Integration Team
- Global Hawk Command and Control DGPS Team
- Global Hawk Flight Control Actuator Team
- Global Hawk Mission Plan Validation Team
- Global Hawk Periodic Non-Destructive Inspection Program Development and Initiation
- LN-270 Static Heading Accuracy Improvement
- MESSENGER Inertial Reference Unit
- Northrop Grumman NSD Process CMMI Level 3 Recertification
- X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System First Flight
Daniel Rihn, an Engineering Director for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, earned the prestigious Jack Northrop Spirit of Innovation Award for outstanding contribution to the engineering profession and application of engineering to meet the nation’s needs. The honor commemorates the vision, perseverance and engineering prowess reminiscent of aviation pioneer Jack Northrop, whose achievements and techniques broke the barriers of traditional aircraft design. The Engineers’ Council bestows this award in honor of the individual technical contributions that inspire innovation and advance the progress of the industry.
“It says a lot about Northrop Grumman and our people to have earned such significant recognition in the field of engineering, and the work represented at this year’s Engineering Council Awards is just one piece of a much larger picture,” said Duke Dufresne, sector vice president and general manager, Northrop Grumman Unmanned Systems. “Innovation and exploration are hallmarks of our company and our field, and our teams’ achievements in the field of engineering are worth celebrating.”
The Engineers’ Council honors and awards banquet is one of the largest celebrations of National Engineers Week in the nation. National Engineers Week was established in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers to help ensure a diverse, well-educated engineering workforce by increasing interest in engineering and technology careers among young students. It also promotes public understanding and appreciation of engineers’ contributions to society.
