College of Engineering Welcomes Dr Anouck Girard as Next Chair of Aerospace Engineering

After a yearlong nationwide search, the Daytona Beach College of Engineering is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Anouck Girard as the next chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

Girard, who earned a Ph.D. in Ocean Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, is a gifted educator and researcher. She is currently an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor at the University of Michigan, where she also holds joint academic appointments in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and the Department of Robotics. She previously served as the undergraduate program chair for Aerospace Engineering.

As an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Girard has materially improved the undergraduate education experience at the University of Michigan, infusing her engineering curricula with innovative approaches and demonstrating deep, lasting commitment to her students. The Arthur F. Thurnau designation is awarded to only five tenured faculty members each year in recognition of excellence in education beyond the classroom or the lab.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Girard to the Embry-Riddle community,” said Dr. Jim Gregory. “Her vision for the department, alongside her strengths, values and outlook on engineering education, will benefit our college and our students. She will provide pivotal leadership for growing the research depth of the department, maintaining our world-class emphasis on student success, and elevating the international stature of the aerospace degree programs.”

Girard is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Her research broadly focuses on dynamics and control, with a more specific focus on the optimization of advanced autonomous vehicles in complex domains. Her interests include the modeling and control of flight vehicles’ mechanical motion, trajectory optimization, autonomy, energy optimization, thermal management and information management. She has applied her research expertise to spacecraft, uncrewed aircraft, fighter jets and autonomous cars.

During the 2021-2022 academic year, Girard served as a Fulbright Scholar and was hosted by the Technical University of Crete. She is the author of one textbook, 73 peer-reviewed journal papers and 177 conference papers.

“I am excited to be part of the Embry-Riddle team, and I look forward to starting my tenure as department chair in June and to helping build on the legacy of excellence that has defined the Department of Aerospace Engineering for decades. Aerospace Engineering’s passion for aviation and aerospace research and student-focused engineering education presents us with an extraordinary opportunity to not only solve the challenges of today, but to make the world a better place for generations to come,” Girard said.

Girard will succeed Dr. Tasos Lyrintzis, who held the role of chair from 2012 to 2024. Over the past 12 years, Lyrintzis has played a critical role in strengthening and expanding the Aerospace Engineering Department, including the development, launch and growth of its Ph.D. program.

Girard will join Embry-Riddle and assume her duties as chair on June 15, 2025. Dr. Richard Prazenica, current associate chair, will serve as interim chair during the 2024-2025 academic year.