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Derek A. Paley, Willis H. Young Jr. Professor of Aerospace Engineering Education at the University of Maryland (UMD), was named Fellow by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in recognition of his outstanding engineering achievements in advancing the field of collective dynamics and controls.
Paley’s research focuses on dynamics and control, including cooperative control of autonomous vehicles, adaptive sampling with mobile networks, spatial modeling of biological groups and bioinspired robotics. His work has spanned autonomous air vehicles, underwater robotics and, more recently, AI-enabled robotic perception.
At UMD, he is the founding director of the Collective Dynamics and Control Laboratory and served as director of the Maryland Robotics Center from 2019 to 2025. Paley also founded the university’s Autonomous Micro Air Vehicle Team, which he directed from 2014 to 2024, leading students in the development of autonomous aerial systems for national and international competitions including first place in the 2022 NIST UAS Indoor Challenge 4.0 and the Most Revolutionary Aerodynamic Design in the 2026 DARPA Lift Challenge.
Beyond the laboratory, Paley has taught more than 1,500 UMD students and co-authored Engineering Dynamics: A Comprehensive Introduction, published by Princeton University Press. His approach to teaching emphasizes rigorous engineering fundamentals alongside real-world applications and research experiences that encourage students to work as practicing engineers and problem-solvers.
Paley has mentored more than seventy undergraduate researchers and more than twenty master’s and doctoral graduates, while creating opportunities for students to engage in hands-on robotics research through programs such as UMD’s First-Year Innovation & Research Experience.
In addition to being named an ASME Fellow, Paley has been recognized with a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the AIAA National Capital Section Engineer of the Year award and named a University of Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Teacher.
Fellow is ASME’s highest membership grade, conferred by the organization’s Committee of Past Presidents.
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September 3, 2026
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