Honorary Fellowship recognizes Smith’s pioneering contributions to rotorcraft aerodynamics and aeroelasticity and her global leadership in vertical flight.
Professor Marilyn J. Smith and Professor Andrew Rae University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) in Scotland
Professor Marilyn J. Smith has been selected for the Royal Aeronautical Society’s (RAeS) Honorary Fellowship for her significant contributions to rotorcraft, and for her leadership and support for military and global rotorcraft programs.
According to RAeS, the honorary fellowship is “the highest distinction for aerospace achievement: awarded for only the most exceptional contributions to the aerospace profession.” The Society reserves the honor for those who are among their generation’s most influential aerospace professionals.
“I am humbled to be nominated for this award by my UK colleagues with whom it has been an honor and privilege to collaborate and advance knowledge in aeromechanics and vertical flight,” said Smith, David S. Lewis Professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering.
Smith is the first Georgia Tech faculty member to receive the RAeS Honorary Fellowship. Georgia Tech alumnus and former AE School Advisory Council chair Donald Richardson received the honor in 2016. Smith joins past recipients including Wilbur and Orville Wright, Donald Douglas, Igor Sikorsky, and Winston Churchill.
As a triple Georgia Tech alumna (AE 1982, M.S. AE 1985, Ph.D. AE 1994) and the Institute’s first female faculty member in aerospace engineering, Smith has conducted pioneering research in computational fluid dynamics, aeroelasticity, and unsteady aerodynamics. Her work produced more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and secured $200 million in funding. Her work has advanced both the theory and practical application of rotorcraft analysis and design, helping engineers develop more accurate simulations to inform the design and performance of future vertical flight vehicles.
“Marilyn’s impact on aerospace engineering extends far beyond her remarkable research accomplishments. Through her leadership, mentorship, and commitment to advancing vertical flight, she has helped shape both our field and generations of aerospace engineers,” said Steve Ruffin, interim chair of the AE School. “This recognition is richly deserved, and we are incredibly proud to have her as a colleague and leader in our School.”
Smith directs Georgia Tech’s Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence (VLRCOE), where she leads a seven-university team conducting research for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and NASA. She also directs the School’s Computational Nonlinear Aeroelasticity Lab, where researchers use computational fluid dynamics to address complex challenges in unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelasticity. The lab’s work spans rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, space launch vehicles, and sustainable energy applications.
In recent years, Smith has delivered three prominent lectures: the Vertical Flight Society’s 42nd Alexander A. Nikolsky Honorary Lecture, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ Yvonne C. Brill Lectureship in Aerospace Engineering, and RAeS’ Lanchester Lecture.
Recently, Smith was honored on Georgia Tech’s Pathway to Progress, a sculptural monument on campus recognizing women whose contributions have made a historic impact.
Founded in 1866, the Royal Aeronautical Society serves international aerospace, aviation, and space communities and works to advance aeronautical art, science, and engineering worldwide.
RAeS presented the award to Smith Nov. 9 at a ceremony in London.
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Marilyn Smith Soars Beyond
Marilyn Smith is a triple Yellow Jacket (AE 1982, M.S. AE 1985, Ph.D. AE 1994), David S. Lewis Professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering (AE School), and director of Georgia Tech’s Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence.
But before she became one of the leading experts in her field and the first female faculty member in the AE School, she was a young girl with a voracious appetite for knowledge. When met with barriers to accessing and funding her education as a first-generation female student from a low-income and rural background, she funded her education through co-op positions, various side jobs, and hard-earned scholarship support.
$40 Million NASA Award to Increase Rotorcraft Vertical Lift Technology at Georgia Tech
A new award from NASA will give Georgia Tech researchers easier and faster access to research and engineering funds during the next five years to support advances in rotorcraft vertical lift technology. The team, led by Professor Marilyn Smith, is one of six chosen by NASA and the only higher education institution selected as a leader.
Georgia Tech will provide resources and technical expertise to support the Rotorcraft Vertical Lift Technology Development through task orders in areas such as advanced rotorcraft technologies, testing, flight controls, and health management. Most of the work will be performed on campus, with some taking place at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California.