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A group of graduating AERO students at commencement with their graduate caps

Alumni & Friends

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The University of Michigan started the first collegiate aeronautics program in the United States in 1914, just 11 years after the Wright Brothers’ first controlled, powered flights at Kitty Hawk.

Since then, the Department has graduated more than 6,000 aeronautical and aerospace engineers. Our alumni have gone on to distinguished careers in essentially all areas of the aerospace enterprise, in related fields, in government and in academia.

Five were astronauts who orbited Earth. Three went to the moon.

Ed White (MSE 1959) made the first spacewalk by an American.
Jack Lousma (BSE 1959, PhD 1973) commanded Skylab and piloted the third space shuttle flight.
Jim McDivitt (BSE 1959, PhD 1965) commanded Apollo 9 and was Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program for Apollo 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.
Clarence “Kelly” Johnson (BSE 1932, MSE 1933) is widely considered one of America’s greatest aircraft designers. He went on to establish the legendary Lockheed Skunk Works, and led in the creation of aircraft such as the P-38, the F-104, the U-2 and the SR-71.

More than 20 alumni have been employed with SpaceX and were involved with the Dragon mission.

Learn more about our history: read Bicentennial website stories.

Sydney Hamilton talks about a career in aerospace engineering.

Alumni Spotlight: “You know your heart and you know your passion. So you call the shots. It is your future and nobody else’s. So don’t be discouraged by anyone.”—Sydney Hamilton, Aerospace Engineering, BSAE ‘13.

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Our alumni span the globe, and their accomplishments and involvement are critical to helping us move the department forward. There are many ways for Aerospace Engineering alumni to stay connected.

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Join us in our quest for bold ideas and life-changing solutions. Together, we can solve the problems of tomorrow.

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Whether you’re on-campus or on the other side of the world, you can meet other alumni, and most importantly, make a difference in the lives of Michigan Engineering students.

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MICHIGAN AEROSPACE ALUMNI NEWS

Mike Hess

A glimpse behind the curtain at NASA with Mike Hess

Aero alum and Deputy for Safety at NASA talks about partnerships, working in space exploration, and flying across town for lunch

Two Aero Alums featured in Smithsonian exhibit celebrating Women in STEM

Celebrating Women Futures Month, the Smithsonian exhibit #IfThenSheCan consists of 120 3D printed life size statues of a diverse coalition of contemporary women STEM innovators and role models who are leaders in their fields.

It makes me proud to be a Michigan Engineer:

Reflections from a recent Aero grad.

Recent U-M Aerospace Engineering alumna earns three awards at ASEE conference

Aerospace Engineering alumna Corin Bowen received three awards at the 2021 ASEE annual conference.

jack tsu on his graduation day from michigan

Aerospace alumnus turns 100

U-M Aerospace engineering extends belated birthday wishes to centenarian Jack Tsu, class of 1941.

New Aerospace Engineering faculty member focuses on engineering education research

Assistant Professor Aaron Johnson studies how students learn and ways faculty instruction can support students’ career launch.

Apollo 15 at 50: A celebration of the all-Michigan crew’s mission and the future of space exploration

July 30 virtual event highlights future lunar and deep space missions, the technologies to get there, and U-M’s research contributions to space exploration.

drone model

FXB Fellow Davoudi’s PhD research could enhance autonomous operation of urban delivery drones

The highly coveted FXB Fellowship is given to exceptional Aerospace Engineering PhD students to support their research on the analysis and design of flight vehicles. Meet recent graduate and FXB Fellow Behdad Davoudi.

Michigan alumnus Wu set to lead Taiwan’s space R&D efforts

His top priority is to design and manufacture Taiwan’s own satellites and rockets.

Michigan on team selected for $15M NASA institute to investigate testing of advanced propulsion concepts

The NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate has selected the Joint Advanced Propulsion Institute (JANUS) to explore high power electric propulsion systems for human exploration. Michigan Aerospace alumnus Mitchell Walker of the Georgia Institute of Technology will be the principal investigator and director. U-M Assistant Professor Benjamin Jorns will serve as co-director.

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male student adjusts a plane that he is testing
David Hershey, Aerospace Engineering BSE Student, adjusts a plane that he is testing in the Aerospace Wind Tunnels.

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