Dr. John Valasek, professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University and director of the Vehicle Systems & Control Laboratory, has been selected as the 2017-18 inductee into the University of Kansas Aerospace Engineering Honor Roll for his national contributions to Unmanned Air Systems (UAS).
This award is given annually and recognizes alumni and other friends of the aerospace engineering department who have made major contributions to the aerospace engineering profession. Members of the honor roll serve in perpetuity as role models for aerospace engineering students and the public at large.
“I received a great graduate education at the University of Kansas, and it has truly helped me and enhanced my career,” Valasek said. “As an alumnus, there is nothing better than to be recognized this way.”
Valasek is an internationally recognized expert in the field of aerospace engineering and provides expert input and guidance to federal lawmakers of the Senate and House. He has advised the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security, and the House Space, Science & Technology Committee/Subcommittee on Space. Through these interactions, Valasek has helped develop policies regarding legislative jurisdiction, general oversight and investigative authority on all matters relating to astronautical and aeronautical research and development. He is also active with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering
Valasek was appointed to the steering committee of the National Research Council Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics in 2005-06, which formulated and published a 10-year plan for reinvigorating NASA aeronautics research. He served as an invited presenter on UAS research and technology for the Academies’ Government-University-Research Roundtable. He has also served as a subject matter expert for the Academies on the Army Research Laboratory Technical Assessment Board; the Panel on Air and Ground Vehicle Technology; and the Potential Delivery Systems in Conducting
Valasek is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and has been with the aerospace engineering department for 21 years. He has been actively conducting flight mechanics and controls research of manned and unmanned air vehicles in both industry and academia for 33 years, previously as a flight control engineer for the Northrop Corporation, Aircraft Division. He is a co-patent holder (2006) and leading developer of flight control systems for autonomous air refueling of unmanned air vehicles, and a co-patent holder for the design of a novel UAS (2018). He earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, in 1986 and a master’s degree with honors and doctoral degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas in 1990 and 1995, respectively.