Michigan Initiative for Sustainable Aviation (MISA)

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With increasing global concerns regarding the environmental impact of the aviation industry, the University of Michigan Aerospace Engineering department is launching the Michigan Initiative for Sustainable Aviation (MISA).

Designed to gather leading experts across a variety of research domains, MISA will gather campus experts and external stakeholders for dialogue and collaboration that address the increasing challenges facing the aviation industry.

We aim to reduce the harmful impact of aviation on the environment through new practices and radical innovation. Sustainable Aviation has broad implications across disciplines from engineering to environmental and climate sciences, public policy, business and law. University and industry partners across disciplines can converge under MISA to bring a holistic approach that considers the full life-cycle impact of design, development, and operation of aircraft systems on the environment and society.

Our Mission

Leverage interdisciplinary partnerships to solve environmental challenges in aviation.

Our Vision

Empower the University of Michigan to advance our world leadership in sustainable aviation

Who we are

We represent multidisciplinary fields that seek solutions to improve the environmental and societal impacts of aviation. We are faculty and students across campus that are united in our commitment to creating sustainable innovations in aviation.

MISA Leadership Team:

Gokcin Cinar

Gökçin Çınar

Assistant Professor

Max Z. Li

Assistant Professor

Nakhiah Goulbourne

Associate Professor

Professional headshot of Carlos Cesnik posing and smiling.

Carlos E. S. Cesnik

Clarence L. (Kelly) Johnson Professor

Joaquim R. R. A. Martins

Pauline M. Sherman Collegiate Professor

Mirko Gamba

Associate Professor

Our research focus addresses:

  • High efficiency airframes
  • Propulsion technologies 
  • Sustainability-driven system design and integration
  • Energy generation, storage, and management on- and off-ground
  • Thermal and power management
  • Advanced multi-functional materials and ecomaterials
  • Next-generation air traffic management and operational improvements
  • Environmental, economical, and societal impacts

Learn more about our sustainable aviation research focus at https://aero.engin.umich.edu/research/research-areas/sustainable-aviation/.

Connect With Us

For more information about MISA or to join the list of affiliates, please join MISA’s interest list to learn about upcoming conversations.

Join Our Interest List
Computer illustration of an airplane
The University of Michigan Aerospace Department’s wind tunnels have been a major tool in the research of many thousand of aerodynamic projects, such as testing wind gusts on air crafts, wing-let advancements, University of Michigan solar cars, University of Michigan SAE formula cars, and so forth. In this photo, Chris Chartier, Aerospace Senior Engineering Technician, demonstrates use of the wind tunnels. Photo: Joseph Xu, Michigan Engineering Communications & Marketing www.engin.umich.edu