Pradeep Raj honored with emeritus status
Pradeep Raj, professor of aerospace and ocean engineering in the College of Engineering, has been conferred the title of collegiate professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The emeritus title may be conferred on retired faculty members who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in recognition of exemplary service to the university. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive a copy of the resolution and a certificate of appreciation.
A member of the Virginia Tech community for more than 12 years, Raj contributed research in the area of multidisciplinary analysis, design, and optimization dedication at Virginia Tech.
In the classroom, Raj taught a wide variety of courses, including the senior capstone course on air vehicle design. He elevated the course to an extraordinary level, mentoring over 90 design teams involving over 700 students, and achieving national recognition for an unprecedented 19 teams in national design competitions.
Prior to joining Virginia Tech, he served 32 years with distinction as a leader in vehicle development through applied computational aerodynamics at Lockheed Martin and as a director at the Advanced Development Programs division, commonly known as Skunk Works. The division is widely recognized for creating breakthrough technologies and landmark aircrafts.
Raj is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and the Institute for the Advancement of Engineering. He is a past recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award from the department of aerospace and ocean engineering, and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from the College of Engineering.
Throughout his career, Raj served as a mentor and advisor for numerous graduate students and postdoctoral research associates.
Raj received a bachelor’s degree in science from Meerut University followed by a bachelor’s and a master's degree in engineering from the Indian Institute of Science. He received a Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Written by Anja Hemesath, a senior and a student writer for Virginia Tech Communications and Marketing.
