Message From the Chair
Embry-Riddle’s Aerospace Engineering (AE) Department continues its strong upward trajectory, marked by exceptional achievements across our academic programs, research enterprise and student accomplishments. As I complete my first year as chair, I am grateful for the dedication and
X NIH Award: Bone Age Determination for the 21st Century: Using AI to Broaden and Diversify a 60‑Year‑Old Gold Standard and Overcome Reader Bias PI: DR. ANOUCK GIRARD (EMBRY-RIDDLE SHARE: $1.05M) X AFOSR DURIP: High-Speed X‑Ray Imaging for Shock/ Droplet Interactions and Cavitation Studies PI: DR. SURABHI SINGH AND COLLEAGUES ($449,994) X NASA SBIR Phase II: RIDDANCE: Removal of Irregular Debris using Double Assisted Nets with Controlled Enhancement PI: DR. DAEWON KIM (EMBRY-RIDDLE SHARE: $408,494) X DARPA CIDAR Challenge Grant: Eagle‑PI: Machine Learning‑Driven Passive Range Estimation Enhancement PI: DR. HEVER MONCAYO ($200K) X NSF ERI: Advancing Design of Chaotic Systems with Higher‑Dimensional Analysis and Human‑in‑the‑Loop Reinforced Learning PI: DR. DAVID CANALES GARCIA ($200K) These accomplishments reflect the growing national visibility of our department as well as our strength in emerging research areas. This year’s feature articles on AI-enabled aerospace systems and advances in hypersonics highlight two of our signature areas — fields in which our faculty and students are making important contributions and shaping the future of aerospace research. We also acknowledge and celebrate the careers of three distinguished faculty members who retired this year: Dr. John Ekaterinaris, Prof. Glenn Greiner and Dr. J. Gordon Leishman. Their decades of scholarship, mentorship and service have left a lasting legacy on our department and on generations of aerospace engineers. As we look ahead, we remain committed to fostering an environment characterized by excellence, innovation and student-centered leadership. I invite you to explore this edition of AeroNews, which shares many of the accomplishments and stories that make our department a vibrant and impactful community. Warm regards,
excellence demonstrated by our faculty, students and staff. Their collective efforts continue to reinforce our department’s standing as a national leader in aerospace engineering education and research. In 2026, our undergraduate Aerospace Engineering program was ranked #4 nationally by “U.S. News & World Report,” marking yet another year in which we have placed among the very top programs in the country. This sustained excellence reflects the strength of our curriculum, the quality of our students and the commitment of our faculty. Our graduate programs remain strong as well, with continued growth in both master’s and doctoral enrollments and an increasingly vibrant research portfolio. Our students continue to excel at the highest levels. This year, Aerospace Engineering accelerated M.S. student Daniella Bezuidenhout was named to the Aviation Week 20 Twenties, adding to Embry-Riddle’s tradition of producing nationally recognized young leaders in the aerospace field. In competition settings, our students achieved first place in the AIAA SciTech 2026 Capture the Satellite Challenge, under the guidance of faculty advisors Drs. Cagri Kilic, Di Wu and Hao Peng. Their accomplishment showcases not only technical expertise but also teamwork, creativity and problem solving at the frontiers of aerospace technology. Faculty research productivity remains robust, spanning areas of national priority such as autonomy, space systems, aerospace materials and flight sciences. Several major new awards this year highlight the breadth and impact of our research: X DOE ARPA‑E: 4D Printing of Multifunctional Structural Batteries for Aerospace Applications PI: DR. SAMAN FARHANGDOUST ($500K)
Anouck Girard, Ph.D. Professor and Chair Department of Aerospace Engineering
DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING | 1
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