BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has honored a trio of Ball engineers with the Associate Fellow designation. They are Michael Gazarik, vice president, engineering; Chris McLean, staff consultant, mission systems engineering; and James Masciarelli, staff consultant, mission systems engineering. They join six other AIAA Associate Fellows and two Fellows currently at Ball.

“We are extremely proud that three of our distinguished engineers have received this recognition,” said Rob Strain, president, Ball Aerospace. “Their significant contributions are critical to keeping our company at the forefront of innovation while moving the entire aerospace industry forward.”

“I extend my warmest congratulations to the Class of 2017 Associate Fellows,” said AIAA President Jim Maser. “Each of these individuals has performed extraordinary work and advanced the state of the art in aerospace science and technology. I look forward to celebrating their achievements with them at AIAA SciTech 2017 this January. AIAA thanks them for their efforts, and we look forward to seeing how their continued work and effort will shape the future of aerospace.”

As the vice president of engineering for Ball Aerospace, Gazarik provides leadership for many functions that support the company’s strategic business units. He is responsible for all engineering disciplines, manufacturing and test operations, supply chain management, facilities, internal research and development and intellectual property.

Gazarik joined Ball in March 2015 from NASA where he was the associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters. Gazarik earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, and a master’s and doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology, also in electrical engineering.

McLean joined Ball in August 2004 as staff consultant, Mission Systems Engineering. He is principal investigator for the Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) for NASA’s Office of Chief Technologist, and also led Ball’s advanced programs for in-space cryogenic propellant storage and delivery, and its robotic lunar lander effort. Prior to coming to Ball, McLean was a propulsion research engineer specialist at Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from the University of Washington.

Masciarelli joined Ball in August 2003, after serving as an aeroscience and flight mechanics division engineer at NASA Johnson Space Center. He is currently chief systems engineer for advanced imaging products, providing technical leadership and consultation for a wide variety of engineering activities in Ball’s Advanced Imaging Products group. Masciarelli has a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado and a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston.

All three will accept the honor at the AIAA Associate Fellows recognition ceremony and dinner where they will be officially inducted as an AIAA Associate Fellow. The ceremony will take place on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in conjunction with the AIAA SciTech Forum at the Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, Texas.

Ball Aerospace (NYSE:BLL) pioneers discoveries that enable our customers to perform beyond expectation and protect what matters most. We create innovative space solutions, enable more accurate weather forecasts, drive insightful observations of our planet, deliver actionable data and intelligence, and ensure those who defend our freedom go forward bravely and return home safely. For more information, visit www.ball.com/aerospace or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for beverage, food and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 18,700 people worldwide and pro forma 2015 net sales were $11.0 billion. For more information, visit www.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

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