Amrutur V. Anilkumar

Amrutur V. Anilkumar is a Professor of the Practice in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Vanderbilt University's School of Engineering. He directs the Vanderbilt Aerospace Design Laboratory (VADL), founded in 2007, which focuses on rocket-based flight systems, energy conversion, and microgravity materials processing. His research spans aero-propulsion, fluid dynamics, and structural health monitoring for reusable launch vehicles. He holds a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Education: Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics) from Caltech, M.S. and B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from Caltech and IIT Madras, respectively.

Research Interests: Microgravity fluid physics, rocket payload design, energy conversion systems, and space exploration technologies. Current projects include reusable launch vehicle development, lubrication health monitoring, and renewable energy initiatives at Love Hill.

Awards: Multiple NASA Student Launch Awards, AIAA Educator Awards, and the Chancellors Cup. VADL alumni work at SpaceX, Blue Origin, and other aerospace firms.

Labs/Teams: VADL leads NASA competitions with projects like extraterrestrial landers and autonomous UAV systems. Recent work includes structural health monitoring using fiber Bragg grating sensors and RF command imaging systems.