Dr. Woodrow Whitlow Jr., who earned the SB (1974), SM (1975) and PhD (1979) in aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, is the director of the Aeronautics Directorate at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. He was nominated as an alumnus by Professor Wesley Harris of aeronautics and astronautics, who was Dr. Whitlow's advisor at MIT and a colleague at NASA.

Professor Harris cited Dr. Whitlow for developing research partnerships among NASA centers, industry and historically black colleges and universities and directing doctoral and master's theses. "Woody's actions have remained consistent with Dr. King's model for excellence in one's profession and for personal involvement and commitment to enhance the brotherhood of humankind," he said.

Dr. Whitlow, Professor Harris's first PhD student, remembered Dr. Shirley Jackson as a graduate student who could "strike more fear into the hearts of us than the average