Past Recipients - 38 by 38 - Purdue University

In 2022, Ronak Dave became a flight director at NASA, joining an elite group of only 108 since the start of the spaceflight program in 1958. This milestone was "fueled by a deep-seated commitment to roll up my sleeves and dive into the gritty, less glamorous aspects of the work," he said, adding that this ethos was honed during his Purdue studies and further solidified as a Pathways Intern at Johnson Space Center. Since joining NASA full-time, he has spearheaded efforts ranging from creating training simulation techniques for the Artemis Program to developing novel operational techniques and capabilities for the International Space Station, Boeing Starliner, and Artemis missions.

Becoming a flight director was the culmination of years of work without the guarantee of ever obtaining the coveted position, and his achievement is a testament to his leadership, expertise, and ability to manage high-stress operations. "My trajectory was truly catalyzed by finding messy, difficult, complex problems to solve — and solving them quietly without seeking recognition, but rather observing the impact of the change." In his role, he leads multi-disciplinary teams in real-time mission operations, managing risks and ensuring the success of human spaceflight programs. He describes it like this: "When the rubber hits the road, and there is a situation that no one has imagined, and the crew's safety or vehicle safety is in question, the solemn responsibility of directing the team falls on me."

Dave has served Purdue on AAE's Young Professional Advisory Council and as a mentor in Professor Steven Collicott's zero-gravity flight experiment class.