Pradeep Raj

"I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think." - Socrates

I see myself as a coach and a mentor focused on inspiring students to learn, pursue excellence, and capitalize on their innate strengths.

Four tenets of my teaching philosophy are:

1. Help students understand the value proposition of learning the subject matter covered in a course
2. Help students develop skills to devise innovative solutions to complex problems with consideration of global and societal contexts
   
3. Make sure that students have a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles and that they develop competencies to apply the principles to solve seemingly intractable problems 
   
4. Ensure that students learn to exercise highest levels of professional ethics and personal integrity in every aspect of engineering problem solving and interpersonal interactions

The courses I have taught are:

• AOE 4065: Air Vehicle Design (1st of two-course sequence taught in fall semester)
• AOE 4066: Air Vehicle Design (2nd of two-course sequence taught in spring semester)
• AOE 4114: Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics (co-instructor with Prof. Coutier-Delgosha)
• AOE 4984-5984: Design of Projects (co-instructor with Prof. Grossmann of VT and Prof. Moser of MIT)

• Applied Computational Aerodynamics for Air Vehicle Design

• Chair, AOE Honorifics Committee, 2012–present
• Member, COE Honorifics Committee, 2012–present
• Member, VT AOE Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, 2015–present
• Chair, VT AOE Ad hoc Strategic Planning Committee, 2016–2018
• Member, External Review Team, Comprehensive Digital Transformation (CDT) program, NASA-Langley Research Center, 2016-present
• Member, Advisory Committee for the Engineered Surfaces, Materials, and Coatings (ESMC) for Aircraft Drag Reduction program, Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), 2015–present 
• Member, AIAA Aircraft Design Technical Committee (ADTC), 2013–present
• Member, Strategic Advisory Committee, AFRL/ VT/ WSU CCMS (Collaborative Center for Multidisciplinary Sciences), 2008–2011
• Member, Industrial Advisory Board, Michigan/AFRL/Boeing CCAS (Collaborative Center for Aeronautical Sciences), 2007–2011
• Member, SAE Teetor Educational Award Committee, 2006–2011
  
• Member, Council on Competitiveness National Advisory Committee, High Performance Computing Initiative, 2003–2011
• Technical Program Co-Chair, 9th AIAA/ISSMO Symposium on Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, Atlanta, GA, 4-6 September, 2002
• Member, Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) TC, 1993–1997
• Member, NRC ASEB Fluids Panel to evaluate AFOSR proposals, 1996–2002
• Member, Applied Aerodynamics TC, 1989–1992
• Member, Fluid Dynamics TC, 1985–1988
• Invited Peer Review Panel Member for (a) Sandia National Lab, Compressible Fluid Mechanics and Aerothermodynamics, 1999; (b) Air Force Research Lab, Computational Sciences Research, 1999; (c) NASA-Langley Research Center, Aerodynamics Research Programs (2015), High-Lift Aerodynamics (1999), Computational Algorithms (1997), and High Alpha Research Program (1991)

•  Distinguished Faculty Award, Academy of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Excellence, Virginia Tech, 2022
  
• Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, College of Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2016
• Fellow, Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), 2016
  
• Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), 2011
• Distinguished Engineering Merit Award, Engineers’ Council, 2006
• Mission Success Award, Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, 1996
• Outstanding Session Speaker Award, AIAA Atlanta Section Aerospace Technology Symposium, 1992, 1993 and 1997
• Engineer/ Scientist of the Month Award, Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company, 1991
• Fellow, Institute for the Advancement of Engineering, 1991
• Engineering Merit Award, Engineers’ Council, 1991
• Associate Fellow, AIAA, 1991
• SAE Industrial Lecturer, 1990-1991
• R&D Advancement Award, Lockheed-California Company, 1987
• Meritorious Technical Contribution Award, AIAA St. Louis Section, 1979
• Hay Medal, Indian Institute of Science, 1970
• Chancellor’s Medal, Meerut University, 1967

• 2017 - present Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Collegiate Professor
• 2012 - 2017 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Professor
• 2006 - 2011 Lockheed Martin (Skunk Works®), Deputy Director, Technology Development & Integration
• 2000 - 2006 Lockheed Martin (Skunk Works®), Senior Manager, Vehicle Science & Systems
• 1999 - 2000 Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, Manager, Aerodynamics
• 1992 - 1999 Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, Technical Fellow
• 1989 - 1992 Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company, Technical Leader, Applied Computational Aerodynamics
• 1985 - 1989 Lockheed-California Company, R&D Engineer, Aerodynamics
• 1983 - 1985 Lockheed-California Company, Research Specialist, Aerodynamics
• 1979 - 1983 Lockheed-California Company, Aerodynamics Engineer–Senior, Aerodynamics
• 1978 - 1979 University of Missouri–Rolla, Assistant Professor
• 1976 - 1978 Iowa State University, Research Assistant Professor
• 1972 - 1976 Georgia Institute of Technology, Graduate Research Assistant