Joseph Wilhelm Wins Prestigious Jack Riegel Student Award at IBS-34

Joseph Wilhelm, a recent graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the College of Engineering, was recently named the recipient of the Jack Riegel Student Award at the 34th International Symposium on Ballistics (IBS-34) held in Jacksonville, Florida, in May 2025.

The Jack Riegel Student Award recognizes outstanding student research presented at the International Symposium on Ballistics, and Wilhelm's achievement highlights the caliber of emerging talent in engineering research.

Wilhelm was recognized for his pioneering research: "External Ballistics: Parameter Estimation Using POD-RBF.” His work introduces an innovative approach to modeling external ballistic trajectories by harnessing the combined power of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) and Radial Basis Functions (RBF), offering new tools for greater accuracy in the field of exterior ballistics.

Through his research, Wilhelm discovered that the combined POD-RBF approach not only can predict a bullet’s trajectory trend with minimal error but also achieves this level of accuracy in a fraction of the time required by traditional methods.

Professor Jean-Michel Dhainaut praised Wilhelm's contributions, stating, "As Joseph’s advisor, I am deeply impressed by his innovative application of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition and Radial Basis Functions to the field of external ballistics. His work advances theoretical understanding while providing practical tools for modeling complex trajectories with remarkable precision. Joseph’s dedication and intellectual curiosity are truly exemplary, and his research marks a meaningful contribution to the scientific community.”

Joseph plans to continue his education at Embry-Riddle, pursuing his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.