Gregory Young

Gregory Young is a Professor in the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech. He leads the Propulsion and Energetics Laboratory (PropEL), focusing on energetic materials, combustion, and propulsion systems including solid rocket motors, hybrid rockets, and hypersonic propulsion. His research emphasizes high-speed propulsion, additive manufacturing of energetic materials, and advanced diagnostics.

Education: Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland (2007), M.S. and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State (2001, 1999).

Research interests span energetic materials synthesis, combustion dynamics in high-speed systems, and propulsion optimization. Key projects include hypergolic solid fuels, solid-fuel ramjets, and scramjet combustion. His work integrates experimental testing with computational modeling to advance propulsion technologies.

Publications reflect a focus on solid fuels, hybrid rocket performance, and combustion diagnostics. Recent studies address hypergolic ignition mechanisms and additive-manufactured fuels.

• Awards: 2023 Virginia Tech Research Excellence Award, 2024 Mary Virginia Jones Research Professorship, and multiple industry accolades.
• Professional Service: Executive Committee member for the International Symposium on Special Topics in Chemical Propulsion and leadership roles at JANNAF.
• Labs/Teams: Propulsion and Energetics Laboratory (PropEL) at Virginia Tech, with collaborations at Sandia National Labs and aerospace industry partners.