AOC Windy City Chapter Scholarships

AOC Scholarship Award Program

The Windy City AOC Chapter provides Scholarship Awards to Chicago-area Universities with engineering programs preparing students for potential careers in Electronic Defense and Warfare.

We offer and disburse a total of seven scholarships at $2500 each, every calendar year.

How is the scholarship program administered?

The AOC Windy City Chapter Education Foundation is the governing body for administering all chapter scholarships. It is composed of all the Officers and Board of Directors of the Chapter. The principal point of contact for our scholarship program is the Scholarship Director/Chairperson. The general purpose of our program is to sponsor scholarships at Chicago-area colleges on a yearly basis to encourage and help the upcoming professional student in engineering and the hard sciences to pursue a career in National Electronic Defense. The memorial scholarship awards are: Edward W. Adams Memorial Scholarship, Robert L. Kranz Memorial Scholarship, John H. Bartels memorial Scholarship, Frank Voltaggio, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, Dr. Gunter Dohler Memorial Scholarship and the George G. Giacomino Memorial Scholarship, and the Ronald Langietti Memorial Scholarship.They are direct grants given to students through a college/university. One additional scholarship, as yet unnamed, is also available. The scholarships are awarded annually and are administered by the Universities (the Universities select the recipient(s) within the criteria provided by the Foundation; the AOC Chapter Board approves the selectees).

What are the Requirements and Application Process?

The scholarship recipients must be undergraduate students majoring in Aeronautical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or Mathematics, who demonstrate an interest in National Defense and academic excellence. Recipients must be U.S. citizens, at the junior or senior level and maintain a “B” grade point average or better. Recipients can be awarded the scholarships each year until they graduate so long as they meet the criteria. Scholarships are awarded without regard to race, color, creed, sex or national origin.

The following additional items are required of each applicant:

• Submit an application form
• Submit a short essay of not more than two typewritten pages (12-point font, double-spaced) on their interests with regard to National Defense. Specifically, address how their interest and education objectives will support future contributions to National Defense. Examples include future employment in radar, sonar, infrared, electronic countermeasures, surveillance, guidance, optics, lasers, navigation, information warfare, etc.
• Optional but highly desirable: The name and membership number of current AOC professional(s) who recommend the applicant.
• Information and articles on recent developments in Electronic Defense are available in the magazine Journal of Electronic Defense published monthly by the AOC Electronic Warfare Association in Alexandria VA or online at www.jedonline.com. Another useful source of information is the book History of U.S Electronic Warfare by Alfred Price

What criteria are used to select the scholarship winners?

Selection of the applicants shall be based on:

• Interest and potential future contribution to National Defense. (Based on the student essay)
• Academic Excellence
• Recommendations from AOC members

Who selects the scholarship winners?

Students are selected by the University. The selection shall be made by unbiased, independent person(s) not affiliated with the local chapter. The selected student names, degree program, GPA, expected graduation year, essay and nominations (if any) are to be presented to the Chapter Scholarship Director for routine confirmation of the selection process. No financial information is requested.

University of Wisconsin, Madison
Connie B. Brachman
Assistant to the Dean
College of Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Room 2620 Engineering Hall
1415 Engineering Drive
Madison, WI 57306-1691
(608)262-5515
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

DeKalb, IL 60115-2872
(O) 815-753-2256  (Fax) 815-753-1310
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Chicago, IL 60616
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Program College of Engineering
206 Engineering Hall, MC-272
1308 W. Green Street
Urbana, Illinois, 61801
217-244-3517
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Northwestern University
Stephen H. Carr
Dean, Undergraduate Engineering
2145 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60209
(847)491-7379
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Bradley University
Dr. Brian D. Huggins
ECE Department
1501 W. Bradley Ave.
Peoria, IL 61625
bdh@bumail,bradley.edu

How are funds distributed?

Seven each $2,500 scholarships are awarded to the student recipients. The Universities and number of scholarships may change annually at the discretion of the AOC Board of Directors. Applications are generally due by 1 December. The Chapter asks that University notification of selection of the scholarship recipients, their application forms, and essays be sent to the Windy City AOC Scholarship Chairperson by 15 December of each year. Final confirmation occurs after an annual board meeting, in which approval of the students selected is granted. The Board also asks that after confirmation, the University invite the students selected to attend the local chapter’s annual Scholarship Awards Meeting/Education Night Ceremony, typically held in on a Saturday night in mid-February. The Scholarship checks are awarded at the Ceremony. The purpose of this event is to introduce the student recipients to family members of the scholarship honorees. It also provides an opportunity for the recipients to learn more about the AOC and Electronic Defense itself, informing them of opportunities and challenges in the field by current engineering professionals. The chapter hopes to attract students into the National Defense Industry involving Electronic Countermeasures and Defense.

Jeffrey Chiles, Illinois Institute of Technology – winner of the Dr. Gunther Dohler & George Giacomino Award. Senior, EE / CE Major, Interest: Laser optics. Interned with Northrop Grumman working on the direct infrared-countermeasures program.

Alex Marconnet, University of Wisconsin – winner of the Edward Adams Award. Junior, ME Major. Interest: Designing and improving various microware devices such as Inductive Output Tubes (IOTs), Traveling Wave Tubes (TWTs), Cross Field Amplifiers (CFAs), Magnetrons, and prototype hybrid devices.

Luke Pfister, Bradley University – winner of the Ron Langietti & Gerald Dutka Award. Senior, EE Major. Interest: Signal Process with emphasis on statistical and adaptive signal processing. Also has interests in Autonomous Robotics.

Peien Liu, Northwestern University – winner of the Robert Kranz Award. Senior, EE Major; Interest: Flight Simulation, Aeronautics / Aerospace, Control Systems, and Radar.

Winners 2008-2009

University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana

Illinois Institute of Technology

Illinois Instittue of Technology

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University

University of Illinois Chicago

Winners 2007-2008

Thomas Comberiate
University of Illinois – winner of the Edward Adams Award.
Senior, EE Major, Interest: Electromagnetic theory and advanced antenna design. Interned at NG in Annapolis Maryland as well as Johns Hopkins University – Applied Physics Laboratory.

Michael Carrozza
Illinois Institute of Technology – winner of the Ronald Langietti Award.
Senior, EE Major, Interest: Communication systems and electronics with emphasis on electronic protection systems. Michael was last year’s winner of the Ron Langietti scholarship also.

Daniel Molzahn
University of Wisconsin – winner of the Dr. Gunter Dohler Award.
Senior, EE/Mathematics Major. Interest: Electromagnetic theory and numerical analysis concepts.

Kevin Hurley
Bradley University – winner of the George Giacomino Award.
Senior, EE Major. Interest: Automated vehicle operation such as UAVs.

Joshua Kawka
Northern Illinois University – winner of the Gerald Dutka Award.
Junior, EE; Interest: RF electronics as it related to Electronic Warfare. Joshua has EW experience and has served in the in the US Air Force with responsibility to inspect, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair EW equipment (i.e., ALQ-131, etc).

Evan Chen
Northwestern University – winner of the Robert Kranz Award.
Junior, EE; Interest: Materials research with application to light emitting diodes and photo-sensors. Chapter president of InNUvation – an undergraduate entrepreneur club at Northwester University.

Each student also received a copy of The US History of Electronic Warfare by A. Price, an AOC membership, and a Foundation coffee mug. The AOC Windy City Chapter looks forward to the day when each of these scholarship winners become contributors to the Electronic Warfare and National Defense.

Any questions or inquiries about this scholarship(s) may be directed to the current AOC Windy City Chapter, Scholarship Chairperson, Karen Cilano at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it