Katherine Rink elected as 2024 AIAA Fellow

The Lincoln Laboratory technical division head is recognized for leading the development of critical capabilities in support of national security.
May 31, 2024
Nathan Parde | Technical Communications Group
A photograph of Katherine Rink holding a plaque.
Katherine Rink accepts her plaque recognizing her election to AIAA Fellow. This year's class was inducted during a ceremony on May 14 and celebrated during the AIAA Awards Gala on May 15 in Washington, DC.

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has named their newly elected Class of 2024 Honorary Fellows and Fellows, which includes Katherine Rink — head of Lincoln Laboratory’s Air, Missile, and Maritime Defense Technology Division — as Fellow.

Fellows are elected for their accomplishments in important engineering or scientific work, or for their outstanding contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics. "The Class of 2024 AIAA Honorary Fellows and Fellows are among the most respected names in the aerospace profession," says Laura McGill, AIAA President in an associated press release. "Congratulations to each member of this year’s class for their many accomplishments. These distinguished individuals have earned the respect and admiration of our broad science and engineering community. We are in awe of their creativity and exceptional contributions to advance the performance and capability of aerospace systems."

Rink is a member of the Naval Studies Board under the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. She is also an active member of IEEE and the Society of Women Engineers. In her election to AIAA as Fellow, Rink was recognized "for leading the development of critical capabilities in systems analyses, tracking, estimation, optimization, electronic warfare, and radar analyses that protect the nation from adversarial threats."

"I am truly honored to have been elected an AIAA Fellow, as well as humbled to be recognized alongside talented leaders in the field such as Hsiao-hua Burke, Bob Shin, Leena Singh, Grant Stokes, and Jim Kuchar,” says Rink. "I feel so fortunate to work with amazing people, whose accomplishments are also honored by this recognition, and I am incredibly grateful for the support I have had from mentors, teammates, and my family."