Alumnus Bartel receives invention award

Master of Engineering in Engineering Management alumnus Aaron W. Bartel, a structural thermoplastic composites engineer, was honored by Boeing with it’s annual Special Invention Award, which highlights the best of the company’s innovation. These awards are given each year to individuals and teams who are inspired to create inventions that prove most valuable to Boeing and to the future of aerospace. This year, 16 such inventions were recognized, most of which have been granted or are awaiting U.S. patents. Bartel, 33, was part of a team that invented a soluble tooling for complex parts fabrication. “Being a Boeing Special Inventor means thinking outside of traditional concepts and ideas to come up with unconventional solutions to technical challenges,” Bartel said. “I’m personally driven to pursue innovation for the satisfaction of having a small part in shaping the aerospace industry.” Bartel, who earned a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management, UW-Madison’s management and leadership degree in 2010, has been with Boeing for 8 years, and earned a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2005. “Every day, our people strive to unveil the next breakthroughs that will strengthen our 97-year-old legacy of technical excellence and engineering achievement,” said John Tracy, Boeing’s Chief Technology Officer and senior vice president of the company’s Engineering, Operations & Technology division. “Innovators like Aaron have achieved a level of technical mastery that’s led to business success and that stands out from a peer group of outstanding, technically excellent, and resourceful professionals.”