Aerospace engineering professor named AIAA Fellow
Published: Nov 22, 2024 8:30 AM
By Dustin Duncan
Joseph C. (“Joe”) Majdalani, the Hugh and Loeda Francis Chair of Excellence in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University, was named an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Fellow.
Majdalani was recognized both at the AIAA Fellow Induction Ceremony and Awards Gala on May 14-15 in Washington, D.C. Election as an AIAA Fellow is the culmination of a highly selective process that accepts one Fellow annually for every 125 Associate Fellows.
“The Class of 2024 AIAA Honorary Fellows and Fellows are among the most respected names in the aerospace profession. Congratulations to each member of this year’s class for their many accomplishments,” said Laura McGill, AIAA president. “These distinguished individuals have earned the respect and admiration of our broad science and engineering community. We are in awe of their creativity and exceptional contributions to advance the performance and capability of aerospace systems.”
Kurt A. Polzin, NASA’s Chief Engineer for Space Nuclear Propulsion, nominated Majdalani, “for over 35 years of pioneering research on acoustic instability theory and vortex engine technology.”
“I am deeply humbled for the tremendous honor of being elected an AIAA Fellow,” Majdalani said. “The Fellows that I have met fully embody the spirit of excellence that defines the very essence of our aerospace community. Joining this formidable line of inspiring scholars and engineering leaders is truly edifying. Their achievements, known or unknown, continue to shape the world that we live in.”
Majdalani earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Utah, where he conducted research in the Advanced Aerodynamics Laboratory under the guidance of Professor William K. Van Moorhem. Reflecting on his formative years, Majdalani acknowledges the lasting impact of his mentors and colleagues from his time at Utah. These include AIAA Fellow Alison B. Flatau, who now chairs the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland.
“Professor Van Moorhem would be proud of us,” Majdalani remarked. “We are truly blessed to be part of a global community whose mission is to relentlessly unlock the mysteries of our most delightful craft. I am also proud to share this unique moment with two of our most exceptional alumni, JD McFarlan and Mark Miller, whose contributions to our field have been nothing short of spectacular.”
McFarlan and Miller, who are Auburn alumni, were also honored at the AIAA Gala. McFarlan was named a Fellow alongside Majdalani, and Miller received the 2024 Reed Aeronautics Award.
Being named an AIAA Fellow is Majdalani's latest accolade. He has been recognized for his excellent work as a researcher in aerospace engineering and as a highly inspiring teacher and mentor.
As an educator and mentor, Majdalani has received the Mark A. Spencer Creative Mentorship Award, the Abe M. Zarem Educator Award on three occasions in 2022, 2017 and 2012, the Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award, the Lee Atwood Educator Award, the AIAA Faculty Advisor Award, the Konrad Dannenberg Educator Award, the Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, a National Science Foundation CAREER award and two outstanding teaching awards at Marquette University.
Additionally, his students have attracted more than 70 recognitions, including 22 Best Paper distinctions. Among his students, nine doctoral candidates were recognized for their research and teaching abilities by various organizations, and seven were named Most Outstanding Graduate Students of the Year within the AIAA Alabama-North Mississippi Greater Huntsville Section. These exemplary students include Daniel Little, Cody Shelton, Gaurav Sharma, Timothy Marquardt, Langston Williams, Paul Kovacic and Orie Cecil.
In the area of scholarship, Majdalani has also garnered several noteworthy recognitions — locally and globally. He has been invited to deliver more than 100 seminars and plenaries worldwide and to coauthor a leading textbook, “Viscous Fluid Flow.” He has also been featured on Stanford’s list of the most independently cited researchers with citations exceeding 20,000. His publication record has exceeded 340 scientific articles, with five of those producing AIAA best papers internationally (2022, 2017, 2015, 2014 and 2005).
Most recently, he has received the Wyld Propulsion Award, delivered the Von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics and accepted both the Senior Research Award for Excellence in Engineering and the Book Author Award from Auburn University. Prior to joining Auburn, he had been recognized with the prestigious H. H. Arnold Award, the AIAA Special Award, and Marquette University’s College of Engineering Research Award.
Majdalani’s academic career began in 1990 when he started teaching as a graduate student at the University of Utah. He then quickly transitioned from a tenure-track assistant professor in January 1997 to an endowed full professor in August 2003. After 10 years of service as Whitfield Professor of High Speed Flows and Arnold Chair of Excellence in Advanced Propulsion at the University of Tennessee, he joined Auburn in 2013 as the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council Endowed Professor and Aerospace Engineering Department Chair. In 2015, he played a key role in launching the Auburn Global initiative, and in 2016, he was appointed the Hugh and Loeda Francis Chair of Excellence. His Advanced Propulsion Research Lab (APRL) continues to advance combustor and rocket engine technology through innovations in swirl dynamics and stable combustion, thus strengthening Auburn University’s reputation as a leader in aerospace research and education.
Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu, 334-844-2326
Joe Majdalani, the Hugh and Loeda Francis Chair of Excellence in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, receives a commemorative plaque as part of his induction as an AIAA Fellow on May 14 in Washington D.C.
