September 2018

Inside this Issue

Features

• Welcome to our 15th Edition
• From the Chair of the Board,
  Dr. Thomas F. Kelly
• News & Events
• Link Fellows/Interns/Scholars, where are they now?

Meet this Year's Fellowship Recipients

• Energy
• Modeling, Simulation and Training
• Ocean Engineering
• SmithsonianFellows

THE LINK FOUNDATION

NEWS OF INTEREST AND UPDATES FOR 2018

In Memory of Marilyn C. Link
1924 - 2018

On Monday, March 19, 2018, the Link Foundation suffered a great loss when our longest serving Board member (65 years), stalwart supporter and dear friend, Marilyn C. Link, passed away at the age of 94.

Marilyn served as the Link Foundation’s first Secretary-Treasurer and Trustee when it was established in 1953 by her brother and sister-in-law, Edwin A. and Marion C. Link. She served the Link Foundation in these roles until 1994 when she became a Special Advisor to the Link Foundation, a position that she held until her death.

Marilyn earned her bachelor’s degree in education from New York University and her master’s degree from the University of Illinois-Champaign, and graduated from the aviation and flight training program at Stephens College. She was a public school teacher in New Jersey, and an instructor at the University of Nebraska before she worked as a sales executive in the airline industry in New York City. She worked at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. where she edited several publications for children. She moved to Vero Beach, Florida in 1974 to serve as Trustee and Managing Director of the Harbor Branch Foundation, which was being developed by J. Seward Johnson, Sr., and her brother, Edwin A. Link. This organization became Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, which is now part of Florida Atlantic University. After her retirement in 1982, she was appointed Director Emeritus of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation. She was also a Trustee Emeritus of Florida Institute of Technology and Advisory Director for Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo). She was a licensed commercial pilot holding multi-engine and instrument ratings, she logged over 2000 hours.

Her meritorious awards and honors include: the University Aviation Association Award, the Frank G. Brewer Trophy, the Lady Hay Drummond Trophy, the Binghamton University Distinguished Service Award, the Florida Atlantic University President’s Distinguished Service Medallion, 2012 Outstanding Individual Philanthropist in Indian River County Florida, a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton (2013), and her most recent honor - a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Florida Institute of Technology bestowed on December 9, 2017. She also received many other honorary awards from professional organizations for her volunteer and philanthropic work throughout her lifetime.

With all of her accolades, Marilyn remained a person who was deeply interested in helping others and she had a down-to-earth approach in communicating and working with people from various backgrounds. She was a visionary who was dedicated to seeing that the intentions of Ed and Marion through the Link Foundation would be carried out. Throughout her lifetime, and now through her estate, Marilyn gave generously to enable the Link Foundation to be sustained in perpetuity. She is one of the most remarkable individuals whom many of us have met in our respective lifetimes.

It was with great admiration that the Board passed the following resolution in honor of Marilyn at its June 8, 2018 semi-annual Board meeting:

“It is hereby resolved that the Link Foundation Board hereby permanently records its affection and respect for Marilyn C. Link for the myriad contributions she made on behalf of the Foundation initiated by her brother, Edwin A. Link, and his wife, Marion C. Link.

Marilyn possessed sound business and philanthropic judgment, and she was exceptional at motivating the members of the Link Foundation Board to make profound and prudent decisions, both on behalf of the Foundation and the individual Trustees and Special Advisors with whom she interacted on a regular basis, both to assure that they were fully informed of the relevant issues pertaining to the Foundation and were motivated to carry out decisions on behalf of the Foundation that were in the best interest of all concerned. Her own resume is replete with numerous accomplishments and honors which added to her education and stature, but it was her ability to make those involved with the Link Foundation feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in what they were doing for the Foundation that was her most important role.

Marilyn was forthright and candid, but she invariably tried to make those associated with the Link Foundation feel good about their connection with it. She will be truly irreplaceable because of the exceptional commitment she had to the goals of the Foundation and the welfare of those who were giving their time to try to assist in making the Foundation all that she believed it could and should be.

All of us love you, Marilyn, for what you meant to each of us and for what your efforts to promote the Foundation have accomplished and will continue to accomplish into the future. Your example will provide a guidepost for all of us as we try to see to it that the objectives of Ed and Marion Link and yourself are pursued with vigor, persistence and dedication.”

While the Link Foundation Board will dearly miss Marilyn and her foresighted direction, we remain thankful that she charted the course for us to move forward and to carry on with the important work of the Link Foundation, and we will continue do so as we honor our founders, Edwin A. and Marion C. Link, and Marilyn C. Link.

 

Marilyn C. Link receives Honorary Doctorate from
Florida Institute of Technology
December 9, 2017

On Saturday morning, December 9, 2017, Florida Institute of Technology conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree to Marilyn C. Link during their College of Engineering and Computing, College of Sciences, and College of Aeronautics Commencement Ceremony. The Honorary Doctorate was presented to Ms. Link in recognition of her significant contributions to the betterment of Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and to mankind in general. Ms. Link was a visionary presence on FIT’s Board of Trustees since 1984 where she continued to serve as Trustee Emerita until her death. The Link Foundation has awarded grants to FIT, and Ms. Link helped to make possible the digitization of the Edwin A. Link Special Collection at the Evans Library, and established a charitable gift annuity at FIT.

The Link Foundation Board was delighted to see Marilyn C. Link recognized and honored in this significant and meaningful way.

 

Edwin A. Link posthumously inducted into
Florida Inventors Hall of Fame
September 7, 2018

 

On Friday, September 7, 2018 Edwin A. Link was posthumously inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame during their fifth annual Induction Ceremony and Gala held at the Hilton Tampa Downtown. Ed was nominated by Dr. Daniel C. Flynn, Vice President for Research, Florida Atlantic University and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, in recognition of his invention of the first successful flight simulator in 1929 which helped to train countless pilots, including more than 500,000 airmen during World War II. The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame recognizes and commends Florida inventors whose achievements have advanced the quality of life for Floridians, the state and the nation.

Dr. Andrew M. Clark, Trustee of the Link Foundation, was on hand to accept the award on Ed’s behalf. Dr. Speros Link Margetis, Special Advisor to the Link Foundation and Ed’s Godson, Dr. Javad Hashemi, Special Advisor to the Link Foundation and Link Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation Fellowship Administrator, and Dr. Donna Wilt, Special Advisor to the Link Foundation and Link Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Administrator were also in attendance.

You may view the video about Ed Link, that was shown during the Induction Ceremony at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c09a0XjJmQ&feature=youtu.be.

Prior to Ed’s death in 1981, he had accumulated more than 27 patents for aeronautics, navigation and oceanographic equipment. We are grateful to the organizations and individuals who continue to recognize the significant contributions of his work.

 

Link Foundation Board of Trustees and Special Advisors visit
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at
Florida Atlantic University
March 16, 2018

The Link Foundation Board of Trustees and Special Advisors met for their semi-annual Board meeting on Friday, March 16, 2018 in the Edwin A. Link Building at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University.

 

Link Foundation Board Appoints Dr. Javad Hashemi
as a Special Advisor – November 26, 2017

We are pleased to announce that on November 16, 2017 Dr. Hashemi was unanimously appointed as a Special Advisor to the Link Foundation Board. Prior to his appointment to the Board, on November 17, 2016, Dr. Hashemi was appointed as the Link Foundation’s Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation Fellowship Program Administrator, a position which he still holds. Dr. Hashemi currently serves as Associate Dean for Research, and the Interim Chair for the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University. He has authored over 40 journal articles, is co-author of an undergraduate textbook in Materials Science and Engineering, and serves on the Editorial Board of the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine. Dr. Hashemi holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University.

Dr. Hashemi joins five Trustees, and twelve Special Advisors who comprise the Link Foundation Board of Trustees and Special Advisors. You can learn more about the Board at https://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/trustees.html.

 

Link Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation Fellow’s work
published in the American Physical Society’s journal,
Physical Review Fluids

Amirkhosro Kazemi, PhD, former Link Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation Fellow, was the lead author of an article recently published in the American Physical Society’s journal, Physical Review Fluids. The article entitled, “Manmade mangroves could get to the ‘root’ of the problem for threats to coastal areas,” highlighted work that was supported by Dr. Kazemi’s Link Fellowship. This work is significant as his research has the potential to address the problem of coastal beach erosion in the coming decades. If you would like to read more about this work, please visit http://www.ome.fau.edu/news/1808_curet-mangroves.php.

Meet This Year’s Link Fellowship Recipients

Energy Resources Development and Conservation – to find out more about their research and other projects supported by the Link Foundation, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/newsltr/2018/energy.html

 

 

 

Modeling, Simulation and Training – to find out more about their research and other projects supported by the Link Foundation, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/newsltr/2018/sim.html

 

 

 

 

Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation – to find out more about their research and other projects supported by the Link Foundation, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/newsltr/2018/ocean.html

 

 

 

 

Smithsonian Fellows – to find out more about their research, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/newsltr/2018/SmithsonianFellows.html

 

 

 

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at
Florida Atlantic University
Celebrates the 45th Anniversary of the Summer Intern Program
and the 65th Anniversary of the Link Foundation
August 2, 2018

Over the last 45 years, the Harbor Branch Summer Intern Program has hosted 637 college and university students from around the world. This year’s Summer Intern Symposium, held on August 2, recognized the work of the Interns and celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Summer Intern Program and the 65th anniversary of the Link Foundation. During a special presentation by Dr. Andrew M. Clark, Trustee of the Link Foundation and 1979 Summer Intern, Dr. Clark recognized the important role of the mentors as part of the summer intern experience, as well as recognizing Marilyn C. Link who helped to establish the program when she was the first Managing Director of Harbor Branch. Ms. Link maintained a great interest in the program, and was a steady presence over the years attending all 44 of the past Symposium presentations. Ms. Link provided inspiration, leadership, and guidance to several generations of employees and students at Harbor Branch over the years and she will be greatly missed.

The Link Foundation Board was delighted to learn that the Harbor Branch Foundation Board of Directors unanimously voted in May 2018 to establish a new Summer Intern award, The Marilyn C. Link Memorial Internship, beginning in summer 2019. This Internship has been established in honor of Marilyn’s long service to the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Foundation. The Marilyn C. Link Summer Intern will be selected through the regular process which is overseen by Dr. M. Dennis Hanisak, and will be focused on Ocean Engineering/Technology which was a special interest of Marilyn’s.

The Harbor Branch Summer Intern Program was launched in 1974 with support from the Link Foundation and continues to be funded primarily by the Link Foundation, with additional support from the Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation. This year additional interns were supported by the James Pomponi Memorial Internship, the Fort Pierce Yacht Club, and the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology. The Skelly Foundation funds students selected to work in the HBOI marine biomedical and biotechnology program.

This past summer, twenty interns from sixteen prestigious universities worldwide were selected from 61 applications to participate in the 2018 Summer Intern Program at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. During their 10-week internship, top ocean science and engineering student interns from around the world worked alongside a Harbor Branch faculty mentor to devise, develop and complete their independent research projects in Ocean Engineering and Technology, Aquaculture, Marine Mammals, Marine Biology, Microbiology and Marine Natural Products. At the culmination of the Summer Intern Program in August, each intern presented a written report and gave an oral presentation on their project to an audience including Harbor Branch faculty and staff, friends of Harbor Branch, program sponsors, and family members.

Dr. Dennis Hanisak, Harbor Branch research professor and program director, describes the internship as “a great opportunity for students to experience training in one of our science or engineering labs with faculty mentors and other Harbor Branch staff. This experience better prepares them for future careers and makes them more competitive for jobs when they graduate. We hope that the skills that the Summer Interns learn will be helpful to them in their future careers.”

The Link Foundation presents the 2018 Harbor Branch/FAU Summer Interns which were supported by the Link Foundation:

Charlotte Ahls, Indiana University Bloomington
Shannon Babcock, George Washington University
Tyler Bianchine, University of New Haven
Allyson Carpenter, Purdue University
Emily Chei, Cornell University
Casey Den Ouden, Bemidji State University
Christa Edwards, The University of Tampa
Alia Garrett, Florida Atlantic University
Shirin Ghahghaei, Florida Atlantic University
Matthieu Huot, Université Laval
Catherine Lamboy, Florida Institute of Technology
Daniel Lord, Kennesaw State University
Marisa Pico, University of Florida
Ethan Weber, University of Florida

Dr. Andrew M. Clark, Link Foundation Trustee, was a Harbor Branch Summer Intern in 1979. You may learn more about Dr. Clark on our web link, “Board of Trustees and Special Advisors,” found at http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/trustees.html.

History of the Harbor Branch/FAU Summer Intern Program
Authored by Dr. M. Dennis Hanisak, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University

In 1974, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, then called Harbor Branch Foundation and only three years old at the time, began a summer internship program for college students, launched with funding from the Link Foundation. At the time, Ed Link, the inventor who had recently designed and built Harbor Branch's Johnson-Sea-Link manned submersibles, was Vice President of Harbor Branch, and Marilyn C. Link, Ed's sister, was Harbor Branch's first Managing Director. The idea of the intern program was to provide college students an opportunity to further their education and training, outside the traditional classroom setting, in a real-world situation. Working with a mentor on the Harbor Branch staff, each intern developed a project that could be completed in a few weeks and then reported the results to the Harbor Branch community. During that first summer, ten students spent ten weeks working with mentors in the Marine Science and Engineering Divisions. Back in 1974, there were very few such intern opportunities for students interested in marine science or ocean engineering, and the summer intern program quickly became recognized as a successful one.

Over the last forty-five years this education program, Harbor Branch's oldest, has continued and prospered and has become a special one to our scientists and engineers who are invigorated by the young talent of the interns each year. From 1974 to 2018, there have been 637 summer interns at Harbor Branch/FAU. These interns have come from over 150 universities and colleges from 35 states and 11 foreign countries. The interns have benefitted from the opportunity to work one-on-one with over 100 mentors, all Harbor Branch/FAU staff members. The Link Foundation has supported about 66% of the interns. Another 12% have been funded by the Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation, which has been providing major support for interns in marine biomedical research since 1996. Most Harbor Branch/FAU interns go on to professional careers, with nearly half receiving an MS degree and about 1/6 earning a PhD.

For more information on the Harbor Branch/FAU Summer Intern programs, including application material, please visit: http://www.fau.edu/hboi/education/internship.php.

Link Foundation Supports Promising High School Students in Florida

Since 1974, the Link Foundation has supported promising undergraduate and graduate students through the Harbor Branch Summer Intern Program. Less well known is that the Link Foundation has also been encouraging high school students to pursue their future degrees in Engineering and related fields thorough a scholarship program, also administered by FAU (Florida Atlantic University) Harbor Branch, since 1974. This initiative was pioneered by Clayton Link. Over the years, approximately 103 students have benefitted from these scholarships and the resulting recognition that follows.

Currently up to three scholarships at $1,000 each are awarded to senior high school graduates to be used at the college/university of the recipient’s choice in the state of Florida. The selection of the recipients is facilitated by partnerships with three science and engineering fairs. Two of these are in the counties most immediately associated with the Harbor Branch community: The Indian River County and St. Lucie County Regional Science and Engineering Fairs, while the third opportunity is state-wide, via the Science and Engineering Fair administered by the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists.

Criteria for selection for these scholarships include: 1) students must be a senior in an accredited Florida High School; 2) students must have at least a 3.0 GPA; 3) students must have an acceptable score on a national college entrance test (i.e. SAT, PSAT, ACT); 4) students must have a project on the basis of merit as the best in one of these disciplines: a) Marine Biology, b) Ocean Engineering, c) Energy Conservation and Research, d) Oceanography, e) Aviation. These scholarships are presented in memory of E. Clayton Link, son of the Founders, and Albert D. Stover.

In 2018, one student was selected for the scholarship. Emily Carr, a graduating senior from Manatee High School, Bradenton, Florida, was the recipient at the 63rd annual State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida, held in Lakeland in March. Her science research project was “Comparison of the Interdental Distance (IDD) and Bite Circumference of Carcharinus lecas, Carcharinus limaturs and Carcharinus falcifomis”. Emily plans to attend the University of South Florida in Tampa, and pursue a career in marine biology.

Dennis Hanisak, FAU Harbor Branch Research Professor and Education Director, says: “The recipients of the high school scholarships funded by the Link Foundation are always very grateful for the funding and encouragement that goes with these awards. Each of them has clearly demonstrated a strong interest consistent with the high priorities established by the Link Foundation. It is wonderful to be involved with providing such opportunities to creative young engineers and scientists who will hopefully go on to long, productive careers and make a difference in the world.”

 

Link Foundation Distinguished Scholar Awards
at Indian River State College

The Link Foundation has had a significant impact at Indian River State College (IRSC) by providing Distinguished Scholar Awards, totaling over $304,000 to over 103 highly qualified IRSC graduates since 1999. These transfer scholarships enable highly qualified Associate in Arts (AA) graduates of IRSC each year to continue their education in the fields of marine science, engineering, oceanography, physics, mathematics, energy research, or simulation training. These prestigious scholarships are presented annually to students who attained a 3.5 or higher cumulative grade point average at Indian River State College, and are admitted to an accredited upper-division program.

For 2018-2019, five IRSC graduates were awarded Link Foundation Scholarships and we are delighted to share recent notes from some of the recipients:

“I am writing to express my gratefulness for being awarded the Link Foundation Distinguished Scholar Award. Upon discovering that I was a recipient of this award, I was joyful and eager to tell my parents the great news. Receiving this scholarship will assist me in continuing my college career and to pursue my career goals after graduation. Thank you again for choosing me as a recipient of this scholarship and allowing me to further my education.” – Ivan Garcia

“It is with much gratitude that I am writing this letter. I want to thank the scholarship donors for selecting me to receive the Link Foundation Distinguished Scholar Award Transfer Scholarship. This scholarship money will support and help further my education as I leave for Florida Tech, the school I decided to attend due to its large international reputation and high success rate post-graduation. It will also help me accomplish my goals for the future. I also think my time at IRSC will serve me well in the future as a good background in mathematics and science, as well as in improving my critical thinking skills and introducing me to new fields of thought. Once again, thank you for awarding me this scholarship.” – Noah Reilly

“Thank you for selecting me as the recipient for the Link Foundation Distinguished Scholar Award Transfer Scholarship. This will help greatly in my transfer to FIT and furthering my goal of becoming an Ocean Engineer. Also, a special thanks to Provost Lunceford for making the announcement special at Scholarship Night. I am forever grateful.” – Cameron Copeman

“To all those who chose me for this award, your generosity is so appreciated and the funds will surely be used well in my pursuit of an engineering degree from the University of Florida.” – Olivia Dodge

For more information about these scholarships, visit www.irscfoundation.org.

 

Link Summer Science Explorations Camp at Kopernik Observatory

The Link Foundation has been supporting the Link Summer Science Exploration Camp held at Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, NY, for 25 years. This week-long camp offers hands-on, high-tech adventures in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in a fun and nurturing environment and provides students with the opportunity to learn more about the world and the universe around them. The Link Summer Science day camp encourages students to view Edwin A. Link as a role model and someone who was dedicated to life-long learning in science, technology, exploration, and creative problem-solving. As part of the summer curriculum, the students visit the permanent Link exhibit at Roberson Museum and Science Center, Binghamton, NY, where they take a guided tour and learn more about Edwin A. Link and the “Blue Box.” Throughout the Link Summer Science Exploration program, students are encouraged to make a mark on their world like Edwin A. Link, and inspire them to consider STEM related careers, even at an early age.

 

The Edwin A. Link and Marion C. Link Scholarship Fund

The Link family, the Link Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Stuart McCarty (Mr. McCarty was a former Link Foundation Trustee and Special Advisor), established the endowed Edwin A. and Marion C. Link Scholarship Fund in 2007. This fund is administered by The Community Foundation for South Central New York, Inc.

This scholarship is awarded annually to a Binghamton, NY, High School senior who is a resident of Broome County and who has demonstrated a commitment to engineering, with special consideration to those students who have evidenced an interest in energy, simulation, marine science or aeronautical or ocean engineering. Since 2013 there have been two annual scholarships awarded, one scholarship to a Binghamton High School student and one to a Seton Catholic High School student who meets the award’s criteria. The students must have at least a 3.0 GPA, or its equivalent, and have been active in community and/or extracurricular activities. The $2,000 scholarship awards are non-renewable and are to be applied to tuition expenses for the first and second semester of the awardees’ freshman year at a qualified accredited college or university.

The 2018 scholarships were awarded to Ranger Agte from Binghamton High School and Colin Nally from Seton Catholic High School.

Ranger was 12th in his graduating class of 415 at Binghamton High School while taking honors courses in Math, English, Physics, History, and Astronomy. He was a member of the Honor Society, the Math Honor Society, and was on the high Honor Roll. In high school he participated in soccer, cross country, bowling, basketball, and tennis. He plans to attend Stony Brook University in the fall 2018 and will major in Astronomy/Astrophysics.

Colin graduated from Seton Catholic High School in June 2018 and will be attending the University of Maine in the fall majoring in Mechanical Engineering. During high school, Colin participated in the school’s Project Lead the Way program and was captain of his JV and Varsity Soccer and Lacrosse teams. Outside of school, he was involved in the Boy Scouts, earning the rank of Eagle Scout, and he was a volunteer firefighter and lifeguard.

Past recipients of this award are:

2017 – Madeline Atchie (Binghamton High School) – Penn State, State College, PA
2017 – Remy Farrell (Seton Catholic High School) – University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
2016 – Clayton Ligeikis (Seton Catholic High School) – Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY
2016 – Vincent Putrino (Binghamton High School) – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
2015 – Samantha Nicolich (Seton Catholic High School) – Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ
2015 – Pedro Arias (Binghamton High School) – SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY
2014 – Tyler Majercik-Scott (Seton Catholic High School) – Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL
2014 – Megan Van Vorce (Binghamton High School) – SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY
2013 – Eva Arnold (Seton Catholic High School) – Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2013 – Katarzyna Nowacki (Binghamton High School) – Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL
2012 – Alex Palma - Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
2011 – Clara Scholtz - Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
2010 – Steve Maniates - Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
2009 – Marc Houlihan – Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY

Congratulations to these fine students who, with their academic and community credentials, have promising futures and exemplify the qualities celebrated by the Edwin A. and Marion C. Link Scholarship.

 

ARINC to present award in honor of Edwin A. Link
on September 18, 2018

ARINC’s (Aeronautical Radio Inc.) will present an annual award in honor of Edwin A. Link at the opening session of the Flight Simulator Engineering and Maintenance Conference (FSEMC) which will take place at the Omni Mandalay Hotel, Irving, Texas, September 17-20, 2018. This annual conference attended by more than 300 flight simulator experts from around the world, identifies technical solutions to engineering and maintenance issues resulting in immediate and long-term savings and increased efficiency for simulator users.

Over the past nineteen years, ARINC has presented awards in honor of Edwin A. Link to an outstanding member of the simulation community in recognition of their contributions of ideas, leadership and innovation which will benefit the simulation industry. The Edwin A. Link Award has become world-renowned as the simulation industry’s highest award for individual achievement.

Past recipients of this award are:

2017 – Rudy Frasca, Frasca International, Inc.
2016 – Bernard Mattos, Airbus
2015 – No recipient
2014 – Itash Samani, CAE
2013 – No recipient
2012 – Jeff Everett, RSI Visual Systems
2011 – Richard Holmes and Joe Mays, Electronic Image Systems, Inc. /Barco Simulation
2010 – Dr. David White, Thales Training and Simulation
2009 – Craig Phillips, Redifun Simulation Inc. (RSI)
2008 – Andy Ramsden, Rockwell Collins
2007 – Joe Biller, L3 Communications - Link Simulation and Training Division
2006 – No recipient
2005 – Jim Guvernator, Southwest Airlines
2004 – Stuart N. Wilmott, CAE SimuFlite
2003 – Dr. John Hunt, General Precision Corporation (formerly Link Aviation, Inc.)
2002 – Kendall W. Neville, The Boeing Company
2001 – Stuart Anderson, Evans & Sutherland
2000 – Joe Depaola, American Airlines
1999 – Wolf-Dieter Hass, Lufthansa Flight Training

 

The Royal Aeronautical Society’s Edwin A. Link Lectures

The Royal Aeronautical Society established the annual Edwin A. Link Lecture Series in 2007 to honor Ed, who is known as the distinguished pioneer of synthetic training. Ed’s remarkable foresight led to the creation of the Link Trainer, or “Blue Box” as it came to be known, the precursor of today’s powerful synthetic training devices, most notably full flight simulators.

Edwin A. Link Lectures have been presented since 2007 as follows:

June 12, 2018 – At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London - Air Vice Marshal Bruce Hedley MBE Ma RAF, Director Joint Warfare, Joint Forces Command, presented the Edwin A. Link Named Lecture 2018

June 13, 2017 – At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London – Admiral Paul A. Chivers, OBE FRAeS, Director, Military Aviation Authority, presented a lecture entitled, “Flight Simulation – A Military Regulators Perspective”

June 7, 2016 – At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London – Captain Kip Caudrey, Senior Manager Simulator Evaluation, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, presented a lecture entitled, “Aviation/Flight Simulation – What Next?”

June 9, 2015 - At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London – Nathalie de Ziegler, Investigating Officer, Bureau d’Enquêles et d’Analyses (BAE), presented a lecture entitled, “Investigation in Simulation.”
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/edwin-a-link-named-lecture-2015/

June 4, 2014 – At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London - Captain Randall L. Neville, 787 Chief Test Pilot, The Boeing Company, presented a lecture entitled, “Simulation – Before, During and After Flight Test.” http://aerosociety.com/Assets/Docs/Events/NamedLectures/Edwin_Link_Named_Lecture_2014.pdf

June 12, 2013 - At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London - Dr. David White, Chief Scientist, L-3 Link, presented the lecture entitled, “What Comes First – The Aeroplane or the Simulator? Thriving & Surviving Through Technical Innovation.” http://aerosociety.com/Assets/Docs/Events/NamedLectures/Ed%20Link%202013.pdf
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/audio-edwin-a-link-named-lecture-2013/

May 30, 2012 - At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London - Richard “Dick” Eastman OBE, RAeS RAF (retired) presented the lecture entitled, “A Journey through Flight Simulation.”
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/audio-edwin-a-link-named-lecture-2012/

June 8, 2011 – At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London - John Farley OBE, AFC, presented the Lecture entitled, “My 53 Years as a Flight Simulation User.”
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/audio-edwin-link-named-lecture-2011-my-53-years-as-a-flight- simulation-user/

June 10, 2010 – At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London - Marion Broughton, Vice President Avionics from Thales Training and Simulation, UK, gave a talk entitled, “The Downturn Opportunity in the Flight Simulation Industry?” https://www.aerosociety.com/news/audio-the-downturn-opportunity-in-the-flight-simulation-industry/

November 19, 2009 – At the British Embassy in Washington, DC

April 9, 2008 – At the British Embassy in Washington, DC – Mr. Bruce Whitman, President and CEO of FlightSafety International presented the lecture entitled, “The Link Legacy”

November 8, 2007 – The inaugural Edwin A. Link Lecture was presented in London by Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defense Staff of the Royal Aeronautical Society

The RAeS Flight Simulation group believes the Link Trainer represented a milestone in the history of Flight Simulation. Ed Link is generally recognized as the “father of flight simulation.”

It is expected that yearly lectures will continue to be held in London and Washington, DC.

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