Welcome from the Department Head

Welcome to the Penn State Department of Aerospace Engineering! This is an exciting field at an exciting time. New aircraft have the potential to change how we move people and goods in our day-to-day lives, and dramatic changes in space systems will enable our life here on Earth—and help us explore beyond our home planet. 

Our faculty and students address several challenges including: 

  • Safe, quiet, and efficient aircraft
  • Machines that fly themselves
  • Long-duration spaceflight missions
  • Human-machine teaming in flight
  • Rotors, propellers, and sustainable wind energy

Our faculty are internationally and nationally recognized for cutting-edge developments, particularly in vertical lift, wind energy, computational methods, aeroacoustics, aircraft icing, and intelligent systems for manned and unmanned aircraft and for spacecraft. 

We offer a bachelor's degree and graduate degrees (M.S., M.Eng., and Ph.D.) in aerospace engineering, as well as a graduate minor in computational science and a graduate certificate in wind energy. Our tight-knit community stresses collegiality, ethics, communication skills, and leadership development within our students. 

We invite you to explore our programs, faculty, and research areas. On behalf of the department’s faculty and staff, thank you for visiting our website. If you are interested in joining our school or working with us, we look forward to meeting you. 

Amy Pritchett
Department Head
Professor of Aerospace Engineering
Department of Aerospace Engineering

Amy Pritchett

Amy Pritchett
Department Head
Professor of Aerospace Engineering
Department of Aerospace Engineering


About the Aerospace Engineering Department
 
 

About

The Penn State Department of Aerospace Engineering, established in 1961 and the only aerospace engineering department in Pennsylvania, is consistently recognized as one of the top aerospace engineering departments in the nation, and is also an international leader in aerospace education, research, and engagement. Our undergraduate program is ranked 15th and our graduate programs are ranked 15th nationally by U.S. News & World Report, while one in 25 holders of a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering in the U.S. earned it from Penn State. Our students are consistently among the most highly recruited by industry, government, and graduate schools nationwide.

The department is built upon the fundamentals of academic integrity, innovation in research, and commitment to the advancement of industry. Through an innovative curriculum and world-class instruction that reflects current industry practice and embraces future trends, Penn State Aerospace Engineering graduates emerge as broadly educated, technically sound aerospace engineers who will become future leaders in a critical industry

Department of Aerospace Engineering

229 Hammond Building

The Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA 16802

Phone: 814-865-2569