Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
The Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering offers a unique blend of two disciplines that takes advantage of commonality in the analysis and design of aerospace and ocean vehicles. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in both disciplines, with more than 400 undergraduate students and more than 100 graduate students enrolled. We have a yearly graduation rate of some 100 Bachelor's, 25 Master's and 10 Doctoral degrees. The Department has 19 full-time faculty working in aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, structural mechanics, material science, dynamics and control, multidisciplinary design optimization, and energy systems. All faculty are actively engaged in our broad research program, which has annual expenditures of more than $6.5 million, and all teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Department has extensive facilities including world class wind-tunnels, water tunnels, structural test equipment, high-performance computer systems, and state-of-the-art spacecraft simulators.
AOE Graduate Students' Flight Test
of Remotely Piloted Joined Wing Vehicle
This video shows the first flight test of the 5 Meter Joined Wing Sensorcraft which took place at the Foremost Air Base in Alberta, Canada. The Joined Wing Sensorcraft is a proposed next generation High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This research is part of a joint project between Virginia Tech and the University of Victoria (Canada).Virginia Tech AOE graduate students Tyler Aarons, Jeff Garnand-Royo, and Charles Eger, the flight test director, a ground station operator, and videographer, respectively, were advised by Profs. Bob Canfield and Craig Woosley. PhD student Jenner Richards, advised by Prof. Afzal Suleman, of University of Victoria was a ground station operator and vehicle technician.
News
Events
- Nov 05, 2011 12:00 AMSEC sponsors 2011 Leadership in Engineering Conference
- Sep 12, 2011 3:21 PMGraduate Recruiting and Professional Development Forum
- Aug 29, 2011 10:34 AMEngineering Expo Career Fair
Seminars
AOE Seminars
- Apr 16, 2012 4:00 PM
Title: TBA
- Dr. Noel Clemens
- University of Texas at Austin
- 118C Surge Building
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Lin Ma
- Feb 27, 2012 4:00 PM
Biorobotic Models of Highly Deformable Fish Fins
- Dr. James Tangorra
- Drexel University
- 118C Surge Building
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Michael Philen
- Feb 06, 2012 4:00 PM
Development of Floating Blanket System 'ABAS' to Damp Sloshing Motion within LNG CCS
- Dr. Sang-Eon Chun
- Samsung Heavy Industries, Ltd.
- 118C Surge Building
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Rakesh Kapania
- Feb 01, 2012 2:00 PM
Cycloidal Deep Ocean Wave Energy Conversion
- Dr. Stefan Siegel
- Atargis Energy Corporation
- 211 Randolph Hall
- 2:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Rakesh Kapania
- Jan 30, 2012 4:00 PM
Constrained H2 Control and its Applications to the Mixed H2/H∞ LPV Control
- Dr. Guoming (George) Zhu
- Michigan State University
- 118C Surge Building
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Cornel Sultan
- Dec 05, 2011 4:00 PM
Adjoint-Based Techniques for a Posteriori Error Estimation in Finite Element Methods
- Dr. Serge Prudhomme
- Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES)
- 113 McBryde Hall
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Christopher Roy
- Nov 14, 2011 4:00 PM
Automata-Switched Systems and Multi-Resolution Control Over Networks
- Dr. Geir Dullerud
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- 113 McBryde Hall
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Mazen Farhood
- Nov 07, 2011 4:00 PM
Experimental Studies of Autoignition and Photoignition – Combustion Phenomena Relevant to Aero Propulsion
- Dr. Matthew Oehlschlaeger
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- 113 McBryde Hall
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Lin Ma
- Oct 17, 2011 4:00 PM
Fundamentals of Airplane Design
- Mr. Philip Van Seeters
- Boeing Commercial Airplanes
- 113 McBryde Hall
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Rakesh Kapania
- Oct 10, 2011 4:00 PM
On Turbulence and Wind Energy
- Dr. Luciano Castillo
- Texas Tech University
- 113 McBryde Hall
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. William Devenport
- Oct 03, 2011 4:00 PM
The Role Of Motion Constants In Dynamic Systems
- Dr. Andrew Sinclair
- Auburn University
- 113 McBryde Hall
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Troy Henderson
- Sep 29, 2011 7:30 PM
Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Leadership Forum
- Dr. David Poling
- Deputy Program Manager
- Joint Multi Role Program, Boeing
- 1060 Torgersen Hall
- 7:30 - 8:00 p.m.
- Sponsored by the AOE Advisory Board with AIAA, ASNE, SNAME, and SGT.
- Sep 29, 2011 7:00 PM
Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Leadership Forum
- Ms. Kristin Swift
- Principal Deputy Director
- USN and USMC Airworthiness Directorate at Naval Air Systems Command
- 1060 Torgersen Hall
- 7:00 - 7:30 p.m.
- Sponsored by the AOE Advisory Board with AIAA, ASNE, SNAME, and SGT.
- Sep 29, 2011 6:30 PM
Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Leadership Forum
- Mr. Bob Hanley
- Director
- USN and USMC Airworthiness Directorate at Naval Air Systems Command
- 1060 Torgersen Hall
- 6:30 - 7:00 p.m.
- Sponsored by the AOE Advisory Board with AIAA, ASNE, SNAME, and SGT.
- Sep 26, 2011 4:00 PM
Dynamics and Control of Uncertain Nonlinear Systems: Limitations and Nonequilibrium Dynamics
- Dr. Umesh Vaidya
- Iowa State University
- 113 McBryde Hall
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Cornel Sultan
- Sep 19, 2011 4:00 PM
Distributed Strain and Temperature Sensing Using Rayleigh Backscatter
- Mr. Alex Sang
- Luna Technologies
- 113 McBryde Hall
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Christopher Roy
- Sep 05, 2011 4:00 PM
Cooperative Geolocation Using UAVs With Gimballing Cameras
- Dr. William Whitacre
- Northrop Grumman
- 113 McBryde Hall
- 4:00 p.m.
- Faculty Host: Dr. Craig Woolsey
- May 09, 2011 4:00 PM
Very Agile Small Satellites
- Dr. Mason Peck
- Cornell University
- Holden Auditorium
- 4:00 p.m.
- May 06, 2011 10:05 AM
Parametric Geometry for Multi-Fidelity and Multi-Discipline Analysis in Conceptual Design
- Dr. Rob McDonald
- California Polytechnic State University
- 104D Surge Building
- 10:05 a.m.
- May 04, 2011 10:05 AM
Air Vehicle Configuration and Component Design Innovation
- Dr. Mark Costello
- Georgia Tech
- 1060 Torgersen Hall
- 10:05 a.m.
- May 02, 2011 4:00 PM
Nanosatellites at the University of Michigan
- Dr. James Cutler
- University of Michigan
- Holden Auditorium
- 4:00 p.m.
- Apr 25, 2011 10:05 AM
Study of Propulsion Systems Using Advanced Laser Diagnostics
- Dr. Lin Ma
- Clemson University
- 1060 Torgersen Hall
- 10:05 a.m.
Faculty Spotlight
Jeffrey Stettler AOE Adjunct Instructor
Dr. Jeffrey Stettler is an experienced engineer and teacher, with experience across a range of academic environments and an array of technical and operational leadership positions in the U.S. Navy, with significant related experience with government and industry. He is a recognized...more
Contact Us
Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
215 Randolph Hall (0203)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Phone: (540) 231-6611
Fax: (540) 231-9632
