Dr. Peggy Chabrian, president and founder of Women In Aviation International, will receive the Frank G. Brewer Trophy for Aviation Education from the National Aeronautic Association. The award is presented annually for significant contributions of enduring value to aerospace education in the United States.
The citation for Chabrian’s award reads, “A longtime aviation enthusiast and educator, Dr. Chabrian’s passionate promotion of aerospace education and careers, nationally and internationally, has touched the lives of thousands of young men and women. Many lives have been changed and careers have been built from the scholarships, mentoring, and fellowship she has made possible through Women in Aviation, International. Her determination and enthusiasm serve as a role model to all who have chosen aviation as a career.”
As an aviation visionary, Chabrian conceived and implemented an outreach program for women and men involved with or interested in aerospace and aeronautics. She created a conference in 1990, held in Prescott, Arizona, which brought together 150 men and women and established a cornerstone for the organization that has evolved to become Women in Aviation, International (WAI)
Chabrian created WAI in 1994. Under her guidance, ensuing annual conferences have surged in growth and popularity. As a networking center for aviation enthusiasts and vocational opportunists, the event has spotlighted and promoted countless career fields, offered educational and entertaining programs, and brought together a wide cross-section of attendees from more than 70 chapters from around the world.
By 2006, WAI reached a total of 15,000 members and the annual WAI Conference welcomed upwards of 3,000 attendees. To date, more than $6.5 million has been distributed among scholarship winners to encourage their educational achievements and advancement.
The award will be presented by NAA President and CEO Jonathan Gaffney at the WAI Conference in February 2011 in Reno, Nevada.
