Dr. Marilyn Smith

Biography

Marilyn Smith is the David S. Lewis Professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She serves as the Director of the Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence (VLRCOE), where she leads a multi-university team in vertical lift research projects funded by various governmental organizations including the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and NASA, totaling over $200 million in research funding. As the director of the Computational Nonlinear Computational Aeroelasticity Lab, Professor Smith leads an internationally recognized and award-winning research team that focuses on unsteady aerodynamics and computational aeroelasticity using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) across rotary-wing, fixed-wing, and launch vehicles, along with sustainable energy solutions. She is also a member of the NASA FUN3D development team, contributing to advanced unstructured algorithm development and is involved with the Aerospace Systems Design Lab (ASDL) to integrate high-performance computing into the design process. An author and co-author of over 200 technical publications that are actively utilized by government agencies and industries, she is involved in international collaborations, including investigations into nonlinear gust behaviors of UAVs and serves on multiple boards including the Vertical Lift Consortium and the Vertical Flight Society. Smith has received various awards for her research and mentorship, including the 2022 AIAA Aerodynamics Award and has been featured in media outlets like National Geographic and PBS.

Research Interests

Awards