Mazen Farhood is a Professor in the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). He holds a Ph.D. (2005), M.S. (2001), and B.Engr. (1999) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and American University of Beirut. His research focuses on formal validation of UAV control systems, motion planning, cooperative control in complex environments, model reduction, and obstacle-sensitive trajectory regulation. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE, and a member of AIAA and ASME. In 2014, he received the NSF CAREER Award for his work on formal validation of autonomous systems. Farhood leads the distributed UAV test bed at Virginia Tech, integrating theoretical control frameworks with experimental validation. His research emphasizes safety-critical systems, cybersecurity for autonomous vehicles, and robust control under uncertainty. Collaborations include Virginia Tech’s Autonomous Systems Center and National Security and Technology initiatives. Key projects include developing compositional falsification tools, analyzing cyber-physical system vulnerabilities, and advancing LPV control methodologies for nonstationary systems. Education: Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering (UIUC), M.S. Mechanical Engineering (UIUC), B.Engr. Mechanical Engineering (AUB) Awards: 2014 NSF CAREER Grant Key Projects: Formal validation of UAV software, cooperative multi-vehicle control, obstacle-aware trajectory regulation His work bridges theoretical control advancements with practical applications, contributing to safer and more reliable autonomous systems.











