AFRL engineer honored with prestigious von Kármán Medal

  • Published
  • By Holly Jordan
  • AFRL Air Vehicles Directorate
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Air Force Research Laboratory air vehicles engineer Dr. David Moorhouse was recently awarded the Theodore von Kármán Medal by NATO's Research and Technology Organization (RTO) for his significant contributions during his 35 years of service to RTO and the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development (AGARD).

The von Kármán medal is awarded to those who have demonstrated exemplary service to the enhancement of progress in research and technology cooperation among the NATO nations carried out in conjunction with RTO activities. Only those who have exhibited the highest level of dedication to the RTO are considered for this prestigious international award.

During his tenure, Dr. Moorhouse was a major contributor to the AGARD Flight Vehicle Integration Panel, and the RTO Systems Concepts and Integration and the Applied Vehicle Technology Panels. Dr. Moorhouse authored 23 technical reports/papers and contributed to 32 RTO technical activities, four of them as chairman. As chairman of a Task Group, the technical report produced under his leadership entitled "Flight Control Design Best Practices" was declared as a "must read" at an international conference.

The formal presentation took place in Bucharest, Romania, September 24, 2008. The von Kármán Medal consists of a silver copy of the gold medal presented to Dr. Theodore von Kármán at NATO Headquarters in Paris in July 1962, on the occasion of the Tenth Anniversary of the formation of AGARD.

Past recipients of the von Kármán Medal include:

· Dr. Courtland D. Perkins, former Chief Scientist of the Air Force
· Dr. Frank L. Wattendorf, first director of AGARD
· Prof. Hermann Schlichting, pioneer in fluid mechanics

Dr. Moorhouse presently serves as the Director of the Multi-Disciplinary Technologies Center. Some of his past honors include the Courtland D. Perkins In-House Engineering Award, the AFSC Science and Technology Achievement Award, and the Aviation Week and Space Technology Laurels Award. He has been named a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics.