Auburn Engineering students shine at AIAA Greater Huntsville Section awards dinner

A pair of Auburn Engineering students were recently honored by the AIAA Greater Huntsville Section for their academic achievements in aerospace engineering.

Daniel Little, a doctoral student in aerospace engineering, was named Graduate Student of the Year by AIAA. According to the AIAA website, this award is presented to a graduate student member in recognition of notable technical accomplishments, active engineering research, outstanding service to AIAA student section or active STEM outreach in the local community.

Little is a member of Auburn’s Advanced Propulsion Research Laboratory since 2020, and his research focuses on theoretical and numerical fluid dynamics and aeroacoustics, with a particular emphasis on cyclonic flows in liquid rocket engines and predictive methods for propeller-generated aeroacoustics.

At APRL, Little has collaborated with Altair to develop a specialized FlightStream toolbox for rapid surface-generated noise predictions. He has been instrumental in advancing projects with major aerospace organizations such as Sierra Space Corporation, NASA, and the Air Force. His innovative research has led to several novel formulations for modeling confined, high-speed cyclonic flows, culminating in five publications, three of which were featured in the Physics of Fluids journal.

In addition to his research, Little is actively involved in teaching and outreach. He has served as a teaching assistant for ten university courses and has guest lectured on graduate-level topics. His commitment to STEM outreach includes participating in programs such as the First Year Experience Mentorship Program and the STEM Summer Bridge Program, supporting students from underrepresented communities.

Emma Signor, a current master’s student in aerospace engineering, was named Undergraduate Student of the Year in May. According to the AIAA website, this award is presented to a section undergraduate student member in recognition of notable technical accomplishments, active engineering research, outstanding service to AIAA student section or active STEM outreach in the local community.

Signor is also part of the Advanced Propulsion Research Laboratory, where her research focuses on computationally analyzing the Rijke tube and studying how adjustments to the flame's length, temperature gain, and position within the tube can impact rocket engine performance.

Beyond her research, Signor has been active in several organizations and leadership positions on and off Auburn's campus. She has served as a member of the payload team for the Auburn University Rocketry Association, a Cupola Engineering ambassador, a Society of Women Engineers member and secretary for the Auburn chapter of the AIAA.