Gross named interim chair of mechanical and aerospace engineering

Jason Gross has been named interim chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (WVU Photo/Paige Nesbit)

Jason Gross, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and associate chair for research in the Statler College of Engineering Mineral Resources at West Virginia University, has been named interim chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, effective January 1, 2022.

Story by Adrianne Uphold, Graduate Assistant

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

“I am thrilled to take on the role of interim chairperson of the mechanical and aerospace engineering department and to continue to work with our students, faculty, staff and external constituents in this new capacity,” Gross said. 

Gross’s research focuses on robotic systems and unmanned aerial systems with an emphasis on perception and localization. 

“Robotics is such an exciting field to be a part of because it is so multi-disciplinary,” Gross said. “At its core, it requires people with expertise in design, control, perception, autonomy and systems integration. Our research often requires interaction with domain experts for a specific application, so we are always learning.”

Gross directs the WVU Navigation Lab, is a coordinator of WVU’s growing robotics program and is the team leader of WVU’s Space Robotics Challenge 2 team.

“Over the past decade, WVU has earned a track record through strong showings in robotics challenges and competitions that were pioneered by my colleagues like Dr. Powsiri Klinkhachorn and Dr. Yu Gu,” Gross said. “The challenge mentality is now embedded in our culture and is a big part of the successful teamwork that is often needed to pursue our robotics research.”

Gross has spent nearly all of his academic career at WVU. He received his undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering from WVU in 2007 and completed his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering in 2011. 

Before joining the Statler College in 2014 as a professor, Gross worked as a technologist in the near-earth tracking applications group at Caltech’s NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

“Being on the faculty at WVU has been my dream job since I was an undergraduate student in mechanical and aerospace engineering,” Gross said. “I am very proud of our department, and I hope to convey my enthusiasm for it when engaging in every aspect of this important job.” 

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