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Department of Aerospace Engineering staff member Dr. Aileen Hentz, Program Director, Student Services, received the A. James Clark School of Engineering’s 2019-20 Student Advising Award. The award recognizes staff excellence in undergraduate and/or graduate student advising.
Hentz oversees student services for the both the department’s undergraduate and graduate programs. According to Department Chair Norman Wereley, Hentz is a key staff leader in Aerospace Engineering, and she has been responsible for developing the Aerospace Engineering Research Opportunities Summer (AEROS) Scholars program, peer mentoring programs, curriculum innovations, and all of the department’s key student support and advising programs. She truly enjoys fostering student development and academic success through advising, engaging, and advocating for students.
“Dr. Hentz has brought an unprecedented level of vision, leadership, dedication, and compassion to student services in Aerospace Engineering,” said Wereley. “Often students find themselves in a rough patch, and Aileen has a true empathy and gift for helping students identify a path to smoother air.”
Hentz has served as the lead instructor for ENAE100: Introduction to the Engineering Profession, was integral in the creation of the department’s Women in Aeronautics and Astronautics (WIAA) organization, and has assisted in numerous efforts and programs to support the wellbeing and success of aerospace engineering students.
“Aileen performs every program development and advising task with creativity, dedication, and compassion,” adds Wereley. “While many situations seem to have no possible solution, Aileen has a gift for leading students in a direction that is right for them.”
She joined the department in 2011 as the assistant director for undergraduate studies. Prior to that position, she was the Peer Programs Coordinator for the University of Maryland Learning Assistance Service.
She received her bachelors in history and integrated liberal studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She later went on to receive her M.Ed. in college student affairs from Pennsylvania State University and her Ph.D. in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education at the University of Maryland.
May 15, 2020
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