ABE Young Alumni Award recipient advances aviation’s future innovation
During her senior year of high school, Anna Oldani visited the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and was impressed by the engineering program and the opportunities the school offered. After a conversation with the admissions office, she knew Illinois was the right fit. When she enrolled in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, within the College of Agricultural Consumer and Environmental Sciences, she didn’t know what the future would bring, but the path would eventually place her at the center of global efforts to develop innovative aviation solutions.
Today, Oldani serves as the chief scientific and technical advisor for environment and energy at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), based in Washington, D.C. She oversees research through the FAA Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment (ASCENT), coordinates with industry under the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) Program, and plays a key role in advancing U.S. leadership in international aviation. Her work extends across federal agencies, including USDA and DOE, where she drives federal coordination on aviation fuel matters.
Internationally, Oldani represents the U.S. as co-rapporteur for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection Working Group 5 - Aviation Fuels, facilitating global technical collaboration. Her leadership has been recognized at the highest levels: in 2022, she received a Secretary of Energy Achievement Award for her role in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge, and in 2023, she earned a Secretary of Transportation Award for helping shape the 2021 U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan as part of national and international efforts to address aviation’s impact.
“I was fortunate to find a career that really plays to my strengths,” Oldani said. “So much of what I studied at Illinois still comes back in my work now.”
Her path to public service at the federal level began in Urbana, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in agricultural and biological engineering in 2012, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2014, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in 2019. Along the way, she immersed herself in research on biofuels, including lignocellulosic and algae-based alternative fuels, topics that directly shaped her expertise in alternative aviation fuel. Her graduate work in ASCENT opened the door to future career opportunities at the FAA.
Oldani credits her Illinois experience with preparing her to bridge the gap between research and policy. As an undergraduate, she was active in the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), Tau Beta Pi, Society of Women Engineers, and Alpha Epsilon. She also worked as an intern at Caterpillar’s Research Park facility and joined various research groups focused on biofuel research.
“Doing research gave me an appreciation for how complex this work really is,” she said. “Now, when I receive research proposals at the FAA, I can lean on that technical background to understand what’s possible, what’s missing, and how we can best support the next steps.”
Beyond technical skills, Oldani said her time at Illinois helped her develop leadership and communication abilities, which are incredibly important in her current role. “Being involved in organizations and working with diverse groups of people gave me people skills you don’t always learn in class,” she said. “Those experiences taught me how to get things done.”
For Oldani, Illinois is more than just where her career began; it’s still part of her professional world. Several Illinois departments carry out research under ASCENT, across fuels testing, technology development, and modeling analysis. Illinois also has a program under the FAA’s Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) program, administered through Oldani’s office.
When she learned she had been selected for the ABE Young Alumni Achievement Award, she was surprised and deeply honored. “It was so unexpected,” she said. “It felt like a really good recognition of how alumni take the skills they developed in the ag program and go out into the world to do something with them. It’s a credit to the professors who leave such a lasting impression and motivate you to pursue work for the greater good.”
Oldani credits Illinois with giving her the skills and experiences to be successful and make a difference in her career. “I cherish that time, and I know it completely changed my trajectory,” she said. “You can do great things when you open yourself to all the opportunities the program offers. For me, it showed just how strong the Illinois ABE program is and how it can prepare you to make an impact far beyond campus.”
The ABE Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 2008 and the Young Alumni Achievement Award was introduced in 2020 to recognize alumni who have achieved significant success and distinction in their careers. Awardees are selected for their contributions to their professions and the lasting impact they have made in their fields. Nominations are accepted through an online submission form.