Keith F. Glassman
(3 May 1963 – 21 July 2020)
Aerospace Engineer, NAVAIR, Fleet Readiness Center South West (FRCSW), Naval Air Station North Island; passed away at the age of 58 in an automobile accident. Accomplished in the field of aircraft structural dynamics, he entered the Aerospace Engineering profession at the age of 17 at MIT, right out of high school. Mr. Glassman joined the AIAA during that freshman year at MIT, and maintained continuous membership throughout his career. He originated from New Rochelle, New York; completed his studies at the Parks College of Engineering, Aviation, and Technology in Saint Louis, Missouri; and settled in San Diego, California.
Keith began his government service in August 1991 and joined FRCSW in March 1999 where he then served as a member of the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 Fleet Support Team (FST) as a Structural Engineer. Throughout those years, Keith was a member of the team of scientists and engineers that planned and developed modifications to the F/A-18 airplane and assisted the depot in developing repair procedures. In 1995 he received the Special Act Award for F/A-18 Service Life Improvement as the Cognizant Engineer for several Airframe Bulletins. In 2010 and 2011 he received awards for participating in the Naval Science Enrichment Program (NSEP) STEM outreach to local schools, and in 2019 he was also recognized with a Special Act award from the Navy.
After having served as the Chair of the AIAA San Diego Section, he became head of the Honors and Awards committee where he oversaw the program and organized the annual awards banquet for two decades. For the last three years, he did the same for the San Diego County Engineering Council which held the annual National Engineers Week banquet. Keith also initiated and managed the annual AIAA Aerospace Heritage Night, where distinguished scientists and engineers from the San Diego section shared their life stories and were recognized for their lifetime achievements.
Keith was recognized with the Outstanding Contribution to the AIAA San Diego Section Award in 1998 and again in 2012; and while serving as the Section Professional Development Officer he received the Career Enhancement Award five times. From 2007 to 2009 Keith was AIAA Deputy Director of Region VI for membership, and he shared his passion for Aerospace Engineering by participating in countless outreach activities and was enthusiastic at promoting STEM at various K-12 schools.
He will be missed and remembered by friends, family, the AIAA San Diego council, and the San Diego Engineering Community.