Gross elected as AIAA associate fellow

Mechanical and aerospace engineering chair and associate professor, Jason Gross.

Jason Gross, associate professor and chair of the mechanical and aerospace engineering department at West Virginia University, has been named to the newly elected Class of 2024 Associate Fellows of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Story by Olivia Howard, GA Multimedia Specialist
Photos by Paige Nesbit, Director of Marketing

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

AIAA is the world's largest aerospace technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. The associate fellow selection process is highly competitive, with only one for every 150 voting members selected and approved each year.

Gross received his undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering from WVU in 2007 and completed his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering in 2011.

Since the beginning of his career as a WVU professor in 2014, Gross has received numerous accolades and awards. These honors include the 2021 Statler College Outstanding Researcher Senior Level Award and the 2019 Mechanical and Aerospace Academies of Distinguished Alumni Teaching Award. In October 2022, he was named chair of the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

“The AIAA Associate Fellows personify the innovation that drives our industry forward,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “The members of the Class of 2024 Associate Fellows embody the ingenuity and commitment that are crucial for developing solutions to the complex questions raised across the aerospace community.”

AIAA associate fellows are individuals of merit who have made valuable contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics. Gross has distinguished himself with his noteworthy accomplishments in aerospace engineering education, research in space robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles, and aerospace-related academic service.

“I am very honored to be named to the 2024 class of AIAA associate fellows,” said Gross. “I am very fortunate to have worked and continue to work with so many outstanding students, research collaborators, and professional colleagues who've helped support everything leading to this recognition.”

Gross will be recognized for his achievements during the 2024 AIAA Associate Fellow Ceremony and Reception on Wednesday, January 10, in Orlando, Florida.

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. 

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