The Department of Air Force (DAF)-MIT AI Accelerator is a unique collaboration designed to advance the field of AI to improve DAF operations and address broader societal needs. In June 2025, the DAF-MIT Artificial Intelligence Accelerator named the recipients of AI Accelerator awards, recognizing scientific excellence, distinguished contributions, and other exceptional accomplishments. The awardees were nominated and selected from members of the AI Accelerator community, including individuals from the DAF, MIT campus, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
The DAF AI Accelerator Scientific Excellence Award was conferred upon Zhuo Chen, project Few-Shot and Continual Learning, for advancing AI through quantum-inspired model adaptation, neural PDE solvers, long-context language modeling, and collaborative research leadership.
Major Morgan Mitchell and Master Sergeant Chasen Milner each earned an MIT CSAIL AI Accelerator Distinguished Contribution Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions with impact on AI Accelerator projects, the DAF-MIT AIA Accelerator, DAF/DoD, and society. Major Mitchell was recognized for her exceptional initiative, impact across five research projects, and for spearheading the AI Accelerator’s inaugural innovation workshop connecting DAF with the New England Defense Ecosystem. Master Sergeant Milner received the award for outstanding leadership in advancing AI-enabled cyber defense through the Better Networks project and for exemplary mentorship in the Phantom Fellowship program.
The DAF-MIT AI Accelerator Challenge Award, which highlights outstanding contributions to an impactful AI Accelerator Challenge Problem, was presented to Jeffrey Price, project Automation in Space Domain Awareness, for exceptional leadership in fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration to advance AI-driven Space Domain Awareness solutions and common frameworks.
The AI Accelerator Directors’ Award, which distinguishes outstanding collaboration with stakeholders and across the AI Accelerator, was given to members of the Multi-Robot Learning for Personnel Recovery project, namely Dan Griffith, Dan Castellarin, Ifueko Igbinedion, Nathan Hughes, and Major Stephanie Riley, for new stakeholder outreach and excellent team coordination to ensure strong mission impact.
The AI Accelerator Transition Award, which recognizes outstanding accomplishments in the transition of research to the DAF, its partners, or the open-source community, was given to members and stakeholders of the project Better Networks via AI Enabled Hierarchical Connection Science for transitioning AI, networking, and policy innovations to the Department of the Air Force and the Nation. The awardees were Master Sergeant Chasen Milner, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Atkins, Technical Sergeant Bill Cashman, Vijay Gadepally, Thomas Hardjono, Michael Houle, Hayden Jananthan, Michael Jones, Jeremy Kepner, Sophia Lockton, Shayne Longpre, Peter Michaleas, Ritesh Patel, Alex Pentland, Sandeep Pisharody, Andrew Prout, Shahar Shomin, Gabe Wachman, and Colonel Scott Weed.
The DAF-MIT AI Accelerator Distinguished Service Award was presented to Christian Prothmann for exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to the AI Accelerator program.
“The AI Accelerator Awards recognize excellence in both technical innovation and collaboration, celebrating achievements by individuals and teams that push the boundaries of how we design intelligent systems and what those systems can achieve,” says Prof. Daniela Rus, the Director of MIT CSAIL and MIT Director of the DAF-MIT AI Accelerator.
“The close collaboration between Airmen and Guardians, the faculty, researchers, and students at MIT and MIT Lincoln Laboratory continues to pay dividends for national security,” says Colonel Scott Ruppel, the DAF Director of the AI Accelerator. “These awards are a reflection of the great progress the AI Accelerator is making in driving and supporting DAF modernization and readiness.”
