Title: Distinguished Professor of Aerospace Engineering
Company: The Pennsylvania State University
Location: State College, Pennsylvania, United States
Edward C. Smith, PhD, distinguished professor of aerospace engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in higher education.
At The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State, Dr. Smith teaches classes at all levels, including undergraduate and graduate students. He advises graduate students and supports their research efforts, focusing on the importance of externally funded research to support graduate education and faculty salaries. He is a Penn State alum himself, having earned a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from the university in 1988. He continued his education at the University of Maryland, graduating with a Master of Science in rotorcraft engineering in 1990 and a PhD in rotorcraft engineering in 1992. Due to the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, this served as a pivotal time for many industries, including aerospace. The reduction in the defense budget by nearly half created challenges for the aircraft sector, reshaping the landscape of defense spending.
Returning to Penn State after completing his graduate studies, Dr. Smith pursued a career in education. He began as an assistant professor of aerospace engineering in 1992 and has worked his way up through the ranks since, rising to the position of distinguished professor in 2024. He considers his most notable career achievement to be his work with the Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence at Penn State, which he helped establish in 1996. This center has served as a major focus of his career. To progress aerospace technology, the United States Army began funding research centers in 1982, establishing three main centers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Maryland and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Having attended the University of Maryland, Dr. Smith was involved with one of these centers, where he learned about helicopters, and when he joined the staff at Penn State, he was inspired to establish center there. The centers compete for funding every five years through open competitions, and he takes pride in supporting and coaching students through the process.
Dr. Smith attributes his success to several key personality traits, including patience, which allows him to navigate challenges effectively. In addition, his tenacity and persistence in pursuing ideas fully has served him well over the course of his career. Furthermore, he embodies the quality of a maximizer, actively seeking to identify areas for improvement. This proactive approach has been integral to his personal and professional growth, leading to numerous awards, including the Group Achievement Award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center, the DSCD Rudolf Kalman Best Paper Award for “Multi-Harmonic Adaptive Vibration Control of Misaligned Driveline via Active Magnetic Bearings” and the Outstanding Advising Award from the Penn State Engineering Society. To remain informed about developments in his career, he maintains membership to the Vertical Flight Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Looking to the future, Dr. Smith sees many more years of success ahead of him, and he plans to continue teaching, as he finds both enjoyment and fulfillment in it. Through creating new vertical flight products, he aims to make a positive change in the world, believing this can help improve the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce and training.
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