Location
3012 François-Xavier Bagnoud Aerospace Building
1320 Beal Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2140
Phone
Primary Website
Vehicle Optimization, Dynamics, Control and Autonomy Laboratory
Biography
Professor Girard’s interests include the dynamics, control, and optimization of advanced, increasingly autonomous vehicles operating in space, air, ground or marine domains. She is a co-director of the Vehicle Optimization, Dynamics, Control and Autonomy Laboratory. In addition to modeling and control of the mechanical motions of such vehicles, Professor Girard, and the lab consider the related problems of trajectory optimization, increasing autonomy, optimal energy and heat management, and information collection. Recent applications include spacecraft, UAVs, fighter jets, autonomous cars and America’s Cup foiling catamarans.
POSITIONS HELD AT U-M
Associate Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (2012 – present)
Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (2006 – 2012)
Education
- University of California, Berkeley
- PhD Engineering ’02
- Florida Atlantic University
- MS Ocean Engineering ’98
- École des Mines d’Alès
- Diplôme d’Ingénieur Computer Science ’97
Teaching
- AE341, Aircraft Dynamics
- AE343, Space Flight Mechanics
- AE470, Control of Aerospace Vehicles
- AE483, Space Systems Design
- AE550, Linear Systems
- AE551, Nonlinear Dynamics and Control
- AE573, Dynamics and Control of Spacecraft
- AE740, Special Topics in Flight Dynamics and Control: Cooperative Control of UAVs, Advanced FDC, Nonlinear and Predictive Control, Applied Nonlinear Control and Autonomy
Research Interests
Autonomous Systems and Control
Professional Service
- IEEE, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Awards
- Link Foundation Fellowship in Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation (2000- 2001)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Best Student Paper Award, Ocean, Offshore and
- Arctic Engineering Division (May 2001)
- Visiting Summer Faculty Fellowship at AFRL, Summers (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
- National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Participant (2007)
- AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Technical Committee (Elected) (2007-2011)
- Associate Member, AIAA (2008)
- Associate Fellow, AIAA (2015)
- Senior Member, IEEE (2014)
- Sigma Gamma Tau Silver Shaft Award (UM Teaching Award) (2013)
