John Valasek

John Valasek is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University, holding the Drs. L. Diane '88 and John E. Hurtado '91 Professorship. He directs the Vehicle Systems & Control Laboratory (VSCL) and serves as Site Director for the NSF Center for Autonomous Air Mobility and Sensing (CAAMS) and the FAA Center for General Aviation Research (PEGASAS). His research focuses on autonomous control systems, UAV navigation, and cybersecurity for aerospace vehicles. Valasek earned his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Kansas (1995) and California State Polytechnic University (1986).

Education:

• Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, University of Kansas - 1995
• M.S., Aerospace Engineering, University of Kansas - 1990
• B.S., Aerospace Engineering, California State Polytechnic University - 1986

Research Interests: Autonomous systems, nonlinear control, vision-based navigation, UAV control, bio-nano materials control, and aerospace systems engineering.

Key Contributions: Over 100 invited lectures/seminars, leadership in NSF-funded research centers, and development of advanced control algorithms for aerospace systems. Notable publications include work on reinforcement learning for autonomous systems and real-time system identification for UAS.

Awards:

• John Leland Atwood Award (2015)
• McElmurry Outstanding Teaching Award (2001, 2004, 2014)
• Engineering Hall of Fame inductee (2019)

Advising & Grants: Advised over 60 graduate students, including recent NSF GRFP winner Evelyn Madewell. PI on multi-million-dollar grants, including the NSF CAAMS project and Air Force-funded research on autonomous systems.

Labs & Teams: Directs the Vehicle Systems & Control Laboratory (VSCL), focusing on low-cost attritable aircraft technology and autonomy. Collaborates with industry partners like Stratolaunch and VectorNav through CAAMS initiatives.