About

Welcome! The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin is an interdisciplinary department with teaching and research activities in astronautics, earth-space engineering and science, aviation, energy, robotics, theoretical and experimental mechanics, and computational engineering. We offer programs in aerospace engineering, computational engineering and engineering mechanics.

Our undergraduate and graduate aerospace engineering programs remain ranked among the top ten programs in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. Research and instructional programs span the breadth of disciplines in the field. Our students work closely with the faculty to create, develop and apply aerospace technology to solve important global and societal problems through our strong research centers and laboratories.

We invite you to explore our site to learn more about the exciting opportunities within the department. At UT Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, the sky is not the limit. 

The University of Texas at Austin's Aerospace Engineering and Computational Engineering undergraduate programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org/.

Aerospace Engineering Program Educational Objectives

Within a few years of graduation, Aerospace Engineering graduates should:

1. Contribute to the economic development of Texas and beyond through the ethical practice of aerospace engineering in industry and public service.

2. Be prepared for admission to, and to excel in, the best graduate programs in the world.

3. Continue to educate themselves through professional study and personal research.

4. Exhibit leadership in technical or business activity through engineering ability, communication skills, and knowledge of contemporary and global issues.

5. Use their engineering ability and creative potential to create technology that will improve the quality of life in society.

These objectives are accomplished through a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes fundamentals in basic sciences, mathematics, and the humanities and integrates classroom and laboratory experiences in the engineering disciplines of aerodynamics and propulsion, structural mechanics, mechanics of material, flight mechanics and control, orbital mechanics, computation, measurements and instrumentation, design and technical communications. The curriculum requires students to use modern engineering tools to work individually, and to practice teamwork.

Computational Engineering Program Educational Objectives

Within a few years of graduation, Computational Engineering graduates should:

1. Contribute to the economic development of Texas and beyond through the ethical practice of computational engineering in industry and public service.

2. Exhibit leadership in technical or business activity through engineering ability, communication skills, and knowledge of contemporary and global issues.

3. Continue to educate themselves through professional study and personal research.

4. Be prepared for admission to, and to excel in, the best graduate programs in the world.

5. Use their engineering ability and creative potential to create technology that will improve the quality of life in society.

To meet these objectives, the faculty has designed a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes fundamentals in the basic sciences and the humanities, integrates classroom and laboratory experiences in engineering, with advanced instruction in mathematics, statistics and computational science. The curriculum requires students to use modern engineering tools and computer technology, to work individually, and to practice teamwork.

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the Aerospace Engineering and Computational Engineering undergraduate programs should have:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.

2.  An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.

3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.

4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.

5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.

6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.

7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

STAFF DIRECTORY

FACULTY DIRECTORY

Mailing Address and Phone

Department of Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics
The University of Texas at Austin
Aerospace Engineering (ASE) Building
2617 Wichita Street, C0600
Austin, Texas 78712-1221
Phone: (512) 471-7593

The first degrees in aeronautical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin were granted in the Mechanical Engineering Department in 1927. By 1942 the Department of Aeronautical Engineering was formed, and in 1959, it was renamed the Department of Aerospace Engineering. The Engineering Mechanics Department was established in 1947, and the departments were combined to become the current Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics in 1968. 

1920s

• 1926
• The first Aeronautical Engineering courses - General Aeronautics, Aeronautical Engineering Laboratory, Theory of Aviation, and Aeronautical Engines - were offered at The University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Mechanical Engineering under the leadership of Professor Alexander Vallance.
• 1927
• The first degrees in Aeronautical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin were granted in the Mechanical Engineering Department.

1930s

• 1933
• Courses in Aerodynamics, Airplane Structures, and Airplane Dynamics were taught for the first time in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
• 1939
• A new, expanded graduate program in Aeronautical Engineering was initiated.

1940s

• 1940
• The Civilian Pilot Training program was established under the auspices of the Civilian Aeronautical Administration. Students who completed both ground and flight training in this program entered both the Army and Navy Air Corps.
• 1941
• The Engineering, Science and Management War Training Program contributed a full-time, one-semester course in the elements of Aeronautical Engineering to the University of Texas at Austin.
• 1942
• Milton Thompson proposed building an aeronautical research center at The University of Texas at Austin.
• The Department of Aeronautical Engineering, with a more extensive course curriculum for the undergraduate program, was formed with Dr. Milton Thompson as its chair.
• The Curtiss-Wright Engineering Cadette Program, one of the first organized efforts to recruit women as engineers, was conducted at The University of Texas at Austin.
• 1943
• The first B.S. degrees in Aeronautical Engineering from the Department of Aeronautical Engineering were awarded.
• 1945
• Milton J. Thompson and C. Paul Boner organized The Defense Research Laboratory for advanced research in military technology.
• The first female graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.
• Facilities were built for research in thermodynamics and flight mechanics.
• 1946
• The Off Campus Research Center (later the Balcones Research Center, then the Pickle Research Campus) was established.
• 1947
• The Engineering Mechanics Department was established.
• The first M.S. degree in Engineering Mechanics from the Department of Engineering Mechanics was awarded to Robert Felgar.
• 1948
• The Department of Aeronautical Engineering granted its first Ph.D.

1950s

• 1950
• The Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory was founded by Milton J. Thompson in the Defense Research Laboratory to perform research on supersonic boundary layers at speeds five times faster than sound.
• 1951
• The Department of Engineering Mechanics granted its first Ph.D. to Robert Felgar.
• 1953
• The Container Research Laboratory (later the Structural Mechanics Research Laboratory) was established under the leadership of J. Neils Thompson.
• 1958
• The Engineering Laboratories Building (later the W.R. Woolrich Laboratories) was constructed.
• 1959
• The Department of Aeronautical Engineering was renamed the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

1960s

• 1960
• Research groups from Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics moved from Taylor Hall to the newly built Engineering Laboratories Building.
• The first Ph.D. in the Aerospace Engineering was awarded to Felix Fenter.
• 1963
• Byron D. Tapley taught the first orbital mechanics courses at The University of Texas at Austin and began to develop a research program focusing on low-thrust trajectory analysis and optimization.
• 1966
• Byron Tapley was named chair of the Aerospace Engineering department.
• 1967
• The separate departments of Engineering Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering were combined to become the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics.

1970s

• Early 1970s
• The Rocket Exhaust Effects Facility was built by John J. Bertin to study flow problems.
• John Westkaemper designed and built a large subsonic wind tunnel for the Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory with the help of student assistants.
• 1973
• The Texas Institute for Computational Mechanics (TICOM), now named the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, was established by J. Tinsley Oden, Eric Becker and Bob Dunham.
• 1974
• The first Departmental Visiting Committee (now named the External Advisory Committee) was formed.
• 1977
• Victor Szebehely named chair of the department.
• The Engineering Laboratories Building was renamed W.R. Woolrich Laboratories in honor of W.R. Woolrich, Engineering dean from 1936 to 1958.

1980s

• 1980
• The Center for Aeronautical Research (later The Center for Aeromechanics Research) was founded by Ronald O. Stearman.
• 1981
• J. Parker Lamb became chair of the department.
• Alumnus Robert L. Crippen pilots NASA’s first space shuttle.
• The Center for Space Research was established under the direction of Byron Tapley.
• 1988
• Dr. Richard Miksad named chair of the department.

1990s

• 1992
• The Center for Mechanics of Solids, Structures, and Materials was established.
• The Computational Fluid Physics Laboratory was established by David Goldstein.
• The Flowfield Imaging Lab was established by Noel Clemens.
• The Texas Institute for Computational Mechanics (TICOM) was renamed the Texas Institute for Computational and Applied Mathematics (TICAM).
• 1993
• Alumna Jean M. Flynn becomes the first woman fighter pilot in the history of the U.S. Air Force.
• 1994
• David Dolling named chair of the department.
• 1995
• New interdisciplinary graduate degree programs in Computational and Applied Mathematics (CAM) leading to the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and Master’s of Science in Computational and Applied Mathematics were approved.

2000s

• 2001
• The Texas Spacecraft Lab (TSL), in which undergraduate and graduate student teams could fabricate small satellites (nanoSats) and payloads for balloons and sounding rockets, was established.
• The Control Systems Laboratory was established.
• The first issue of The Longhorn Liftoff was circulated to alumni and friends of the department.
• 2003
• Robert Bishop named chair of the department.
• The Texas Institute for Computational and Applied Mathematics (TICAM) was renamed the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES).
• 2009
• Philip Varghese named chair of the department.

2010s

• 2010
• The Women in Aerospace for Leadership Development (WIALD) group was formed.
• 2012
• Noel Clemens was named chair of the department.
• 2015
• Michael Watkins was named director of the Center for Space Research.
• 2016
• The new B.S. degree in computational engineering, the first of its kind in the nation, was officially announced to be offered through the ASE/EM Department.
• 2018
• Srinivas Bettadpur was named director of the Center for Space Research (CSR).
• Karen Willcox was named director of the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences.
• The Texas Rocket Engineering Lab (TREL) was established.
• The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics moved into its new home, the Aerospace Engineering (ASE) building.
• 2019
• The department established the ASE/EM Academy of Distinguished Alumni and inducted its inaugural class.
• The department celebrated its new home in the ASE Building with a grand opening ceremony.
• The Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences was renamed the Oden Computational Engineering and Sciences to recognize Professor J. Tinsley Oden's leadership and generous support.

2020s

• 2020
• Clint Dawson was named chair of the department.
• 2024
• Lori Magruder was named director of the Center for Space Research.

In late 2018, the department moved into the newly renovated Aerospace Engineering Building. Features include updated and expanded research laboratories, including a state-of-the-art space object visualization lab, updated autonomous UAV and human-centered robotics labs, and collaboration zones for students and faculty. The main entrance features the McKnight Student Center — a well-lit open study space on the first floor of the building with a collaborative learning area, computer lab and student conference room. Improved undergraduate design and teaching labs also provide students with more experiential learning opportunities.

Visit All Cockrell School of Engineering Buildings

With 38 tenure-track faculty members, over 800 students and nearly 6,000 alumni living worldwide, the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin is a tight-knit, interdisciplinary community that offers programs in aerospace engineering, computational engineering and engineering mechanics. Our faculty work closely with students to solve important technological and scientific problems related to aviation, space engineering and science, robotics, energy, solid biomechanics, biomedicine, earth science and more.

Undergraduate Students

• 612 Enrolled

Graduate Students

• 231 Enrolled
• 14.3% Women

*Enrollment numbers updated in Sept. 2024

Faculty

• 37 tenure/tenure-track faculty
• 29 endowed faculty positions
• 9 emeritus faculty

Honors and Distinctions

• 1 MacArthur fellow
• 1 Presidential Early Career award for Scientists and Engineers recipient
• 1 National Academy of Sciences member
• 4 National Academy of Engineering members
• 11 National Science Foundation CAREER Award recipients
• 6 American Society of Mechanical Engineers fellows
• 6 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics fellows
• 3 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics fellows
• 4 Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Program Award recipients
• 3 American Academy of Mechanics fellows
• 4 American Astronautical Society fellows
• 2 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program Award recipients
• 1 American Heart Association Career Development Award recipient

$25.5M in Research Expenditures

At ASE/EM, our faculty and students conduct research across three broad disciplines: aerospace engineering, engineering mechanics, and computational engineering (computational mathematics and engineering). As the fields of aerospace engineering and mechanics continue to evolve, the department has been working strategically in recent years to hire faculty who specialize in the cutting-edge areas of robotics and autonomy, remote sensing, space engineering and technology, and computational engineering.

Facilities

In late 2018, the department moved into the newly renovated Aerospace Engineering Building. Features include updated and expanded research laboratories, including a state-of-the-art space object visualization lab, updated autonomous UAV and human-centered robotics labs, and collaboration zones for students and faculty. The main entrance features the McKnight Student Center — a well-lit open study space on the first floor of the building with a collaborative learning area, computer lab and student conference room. Improved undergraduate design and teaching labs also provide students with more experiential learning opportunities.

Alumni

The UT ASE/EM community – nearly 6,000 strong – consists of government and industry thought leaders across a wide variety of fields. From flying in space to mapping oil spills from space; from teaching our future engineers to be leaders to leading engineering businesses – our alumni continue to make a positive impact on the world with their knowledge and skills.

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The ASE/EM Computing Center is a general purpose computer lab open to all ASE/EM students and students enrolled in ASE/EM courses. The facility consists of:

• 44 computers in ASE 1.112A

• Laptop and collaborative space in the McKnight Student Center, ASE 1.112

Getting Started

How do I print?

The Computing Center uses the UTprint service.

How do I access my files remotely?

Visit the Aerospace Engineering Student Storage wiki for details. 

Can I access software remotely?

The Computing Center systems are available for remote access.

What software is available to install on my personal system?

See the Recommended Software on the Laptop Requirement page.

Contact

Scott Messec
Senior IT Manager
ASE 5.116A
(512) 471-8029

Since its inception in 1942, the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin has been a national leader in engineering education. As the new space age is emerging on a global scale, we have the exciting opportunity to establish ourselves as a world leader in multiple areas, skyrocketing our presence as:

• the nucleus for technology development for new space.
• the hub for the next generation of computational methods and data analytics for aerospace.
• trailblazers in transdisciplinary research.

This five-year plan lays out the strategies we will pursue to launch our department to new heights. We will consider this plan a success if we are able to shape those who will shape tomorrow by providing a world-class, hands-on education, a deep commitment to innovation, and a welcoming community of collaboration.

 DOWNLOAD THE STRATEGIC PLAN