Karen Marais

Karen Marais is a Professor and Associate Head for Undergraduate Education in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. She holds degrees from the University of Stellenbosch (B.Eng., 1994), University of South Africa (B.Sc., 1997), and MIT (S.M., 2001; Ph.D., 2005). Her research focuses on safety and risk analysis, systems engineering education, and aviation policy, with a value-centric approach to system design. Notable achievements include a Best Paper Award at the 2006 Digital Avionics Systems Conference.

Her research integrates control theory, environmental policy, and organizational behavior. Key areas include resilient system design, aviation environmental impact analysis, and policy frameworks for technology adoption. She leads the Virtual Reality Safety Systems (VRSS) lab, advancing safety protocols for urban UAS operations and extraterrestrial habitats.

Publications emphasize systemic risk analysis, maintenance optimization, and aviation safety. Recent work explores 3D risk zones for drones, lunar habitat resilience, and cognitive biases in flight safety. She collaborates with NASA and industry on policy and technology transition challenges.

• Awards: Best Paper in Session (2006)
• Labs/Teams: Virtual Reality Safety Systems (VRSS) Lab
• Grants: Not explicitly listed

Futuristic projects include spaceport site selection, digital twin applications, and construction safety in extraterrestrial environments.