Nominate

The Future of aviation, aerospace and defense is in your hands

Universities around the world nominate their top students who are working to solve challenges within the aviation, aerospace and defense industries. A total of 192 different colleges and universities around the world have participated in the program since 2013 by nominating students based on their academic performance, nominee challenges, broader civic contribution, and the value of their research or design project.

20 Twenties Class of 2026
Nominations Open: April 1, 2025
Nominations Close: October 15, 2025

NOMINATE

Unparalleled hiring opportunity

Nominating a student for the 20 Twenties program puts their resume in front of hiring managers at aviation, aerospace and defense companies!

Benefits for all applicants

All nominees' information and applications are provided to hiring managers at industry companies for future recruitment purposes and opportunities.
All nominees and nominators will receive a free digital subscription to Aviation Week & Space Technology.

Some past winners attended the following schools:

Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Pennsylvania State University
Princeton University
Purdue University

Rice University
Ryerson University
SUNY University at Buffalo
Technical University of Munich
The George Washington University
The University of Texas at Austin
Tuskegee University
University of Alabama
University of Cambridge

University of Central Florida
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Maryland
University of Michigan
University of Southern California
University of Texas at Austin
Vaughn College
Virginia Tech

NOMINATE

Hear from past winners:

"In both the Luncheon and Dinner, I built numerous professional relationships that I hope to sustain and grow over the rest of my career. Celebrating exceptional technological leaps and incredible individual contributions across all industry sectors was an amazing experience. I was honored and delighted to take part in the 20 Twenties events, and am very grateful for the support of Aviation Week and event sponsors."

– Zachary Marshall

"The 20 Twenties award will hold immense value in my young career as an engineer. It encouraged me to continue pursuing my dreams and demonstrated that I was truly making an impact on others. The award also helped me connect with future aerospace leaders and current aerospace leaders to not only advance my own development but also create partnerships and friendships. The 20 Twenties Award Luncheon and Dinner by Aviation Week Network was an incredible experience that I will cherish at the beginning of my budding career!"

– Ryan Udell

"The 20 Twenties Luncheon and Laureates Awards Dinner was a very worthwhile experience that gave me the opportunity to meet and network with not only current aerospace industry leaders but also with other 20 Twenties award winners."

– Emily Williams

"Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of being a 20 Twenty! I can confidently say that the networking opportunities allowed me to build connections that have helped me immensely as I start my career. For that, I would like to say thank you. Also, I found the experience to be highly motivating too. It was incredible to see the amazing projects my fellow 20 Twenties are working on and the projects occurring within industry. Thank you again for the opportunity to be part of this amazing program."

– Logan Hill

“It was a rare opportunity to be surrounded by so many game changers in the industry who are contributing to developments in aerospace I had only previously read about and aspired to do someday. Interacting with them and hearing their stories has only reaffirmed my love for aerospace and my drive to carry on their work in the future."