The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) has selected Jill Weaver of Valley View Junior High School in Dayton, Ohio, as the 2022 NAHF A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Educator of the Year.
The Crossfield Award, founded in 1986 by NAHF enshrinee Scott Crossfield, is an annual competition that recognizes a teacher for his or her exemplary use of aerospace in their classroom curricula. Crossfield, who was inducted in 1983, was a renowned test pilot, research pilot, and aerospace researcher.
The successful nomination was submitted by Colonel Joseph Kittinger, USAF (Ret), a 1994 enshrinee of the NAHF. Kittinger, a friend of Scott Crossfield, promised to carry on “Scotty’s legacy” of recognizing the most impactful aerospace educators in the nation.
“Mrs. Weaver has dedicated her career to promoting STEM objectives to her students,” Kittinger said. “Because of her advocacy, she has been awarded over $250,000 in grants to finance STEM programs for her students.”
Those grants have been used to support various educational endeavors, from robotics to remote-controlled cars, drones, and 3D printers.
“While I know that there are many deserving candidates for this recognition, Jill Weaver is one of the foremost science instructors that I’ve encountered in my 20-plus years in education,” added Ben Richards, superintendent of Valley View Local Schools. “Her passion for science, coupled with her unwavering commitment to enriching the lives of her students, make her truly deserving of this award.”
Weaver will receive her award Sept. 23, 2022, as part of the NAHF’s 58th enshrinement events. More than 600 people are expected to attend two days of events in Dayton, including industry leaders and several returning enshrinees, including former NASA astronauts Charlie Bolden, Eileen Collins, Bob Crippen, and Hoot Gibson, aviation visionary and test pilot Clay Lacy, Cirrus Aircraft co-founder Dale Klapmeier, and John and Martha King.
The ceremony, led by emcee CNN’s Pete Muntean, features the formal installment of the Classes of 2020 and 2022: (the late) Second Lieutenant Eugene J. Bullard, USAF., (the late) Dr. Maxime “Max” A. Faget, Joan Sullivan Garrett., (the late) Captain Richard “Dick” F. Gordon, USN, Colonel/Dr. Paul G. Kaminski, USAF (Ret). (The late) Willa Brown, (the late) Joe Clark, Dr. Margaret Hamilton, Dr. Story Musgrave, and (the late) Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock.
The 10 inductees will bring the total number of enshrinees to 256, according to hall of fame officials.