Gregory to become chair of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Currently an MAE professor and Director of the Aerospace Research Center (ARC), Gregory came to Ohio State in 2008. Under his leadership, ARC has expanded interdisciplinary collaborations to include colleagues from industrial engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and medicine. The center’s research output also has grown substantially, with a doubling of research expenditures over the past two years. In August 2017, Gregory led a team of researchers and students in setting official world records for speed and distance for an autonomous drone.
“Jim brings to the chair’s position a distinguished portfolio of research at the national level, including his role as PI for Ohio State in the FAA Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems,” said College of Engineering Dean David B. Williams. “He has a strong record of leadership at the Aerospace Research Center and will continue to drive MAE’s ascent in the rankings. I look forward to having him as a member of the college leadership team. “
Gregory received his Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, graduating with the highest honors. He went on to receive his doctorate and master’s degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University in 2005 and 2002, respectively. In 2018 he received the designation of Outstanding Aerospace Engineer from Purdue. Following his doctorate, he was a policy fellow at the National Academy of Engineering, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the U.S. Air Force Academy. While at Ohio State, he was selected as a Fulbright fellow to conduct research at the Technion in Haifa, Israel. Gregory’s research interests are at the intersection of unsteady aerodynamics, drones and advanced measurement techniques.
“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to build upon the success of Vish Subramaniam and previous chairs, and look forward to elevating the stature of the department and college even higher,” Gregory said. “Our department and college have outstanding faculty and it’s an honor to be entrusted with this responsibility as a member of the college’s leadership team.”
Gregory’s innovative teaching methods helped him earn numerous awards throughout his career, including the McCarthy Engineering Teaching Award, the Department of Aerospace Engineering Outstanding Professor Award, and SAE’s Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award. He has produced a video lecture series on the Science of Flight, in collaboration with the Great Courses and the Smithsonian Institution’s Air & Space Museum.
