Behçet Açikmeşe

Behçet Açikmeşe is a Professor in Aerospace Optimization and Control at the University of Washington's Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, and an Adjunct Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University. His research focuses on convex optimization, guidance and control systems for autonomous vehicles, model predictive control, and distributed control systems.

• Education: PhD, Aerospace Engineering, Purdue University; MS, Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University; BS, Civil Engineering, Middle East Technical University.

His work includes foundational contributions like 'lossless convexification,' enabling real-time solutions for nonconvex optimal control problems critical to NASA's planetary landing technologies. He was part of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) G&C team for the Curiosity rover's 2012 landing and developed Reaction Control System (RCS) algorithms for NASA's SMAP mission (launched 2014).

Recent achievements include the IEEE 2023 Control Systems Magazine Award for outstanding paper, and breakthroughs in subsecond onboard decision-making for planetary landings. His research spans hypersonic reentry control, autonomous systems, and optimization algorithms with applications in space exploration.

• Awards: IEEE 2023 Control Systems Magazine Outstanding Paper Award.

Advising and grants: Mentored students who secured faculty roles at leading institutions, with active involvement in NASA-funded projects. His lab, the Autonomous Control Lab, focuses on advancing control systems for aerospace applications.