Sigma Gamma Tau named George Halow, Professor of Practice in Aerospace Engineering, as recipient of the 2020 Silver Shaft Award. Professor Halow was selected by Michigan Aerospace students as the faculty member who best demonstrated the qualities of “exceptional student instruction, clarity, sincerity, and enthusiasm for aerospace.” This is believed to be the first time a professor has won this award in their first year of teaching.
Professor Halow has been lauded by students and fellow faculty alike for his efforts to incorporate business education within his engineering courses, AERO 285 and 205. In 2019, he transformed AERO 285: “Aerospace Seminar Series” into a full introduction to the Aerospace Enterprise with explicit pedagogy, supplemented by guest speakers from industry, academia, and government sectors each week. The class takes a three-pronged approach, delving into the aerospace enterprise, then leadership, culture and communication, and finally careers in aerospace. Leveraging over 30 years of experience at the Ford Motor Company, Prof. Halow will continue to supplement students’ technical aerospace education with knowledge on systems engineering, business culture, skills, ethics, communications, and intellectual property management through another all-new AEROSP 495 course in the fall, followed by additional Aerospace Leadership courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Halow received his Bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on aerodynamics from the University of Maryland, and a Master’s degree from Cornell University focusing on fluid mechanics and combustion. He also has an MBA from INSEAD (l’Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires) in Fontainebleau, France, where he specialized in operations and international business. Halow has conversation capability in both French and German, in addition to English.
