About Us
UW Aeronautics and Astronautics was one of the first aeronautical engineering programs in the country—and it has been making headlines and history ever since. The department traces its origins back to 1916, when Northwest timber magnate William E. Boeing formed an airplane company in Seattle. The following year he donated a wind tunnel to the University in return for the establishment of courses in aeronautics. These beginnings ultimately led to the formation of the department in 1929. From helping to build the legend of Boeing to working with NASA to pioneer the emerging field of space exploration through the decades to follow, UW Aeronautics and Astronautics has always been at the forefront. Today, the department is taking on some of the most challenging problems in aircraft and space system controls, fluid dynamics and propulsion, fusion and plasma science, and composite materials, structures, aeroelasticity, and multidisciplinary design optimization.
At the University of Washington, our department is unique in terms of its specific technological applications, its capacity for multidisciplinary integration of complex systems, and its long-term interaction with local aerospace companies. UW Aeronautics & Astronautics is the only program of its type in the Pacific Northwest—a region with an extensive aerospace industry that has made major contributions to the technological development, economic vitality, and security of the United States.
Educators and researchers from UW Aeronautics & Astronautics have made countless contributions over the years in every major area of our field, and the department's graduates at all degree levels have been successful and influential in industry, government, and academia at the local, national, and international level.
“We're tackling some of the most challenging and fascinating problems of flight, spaceflight, and energetics”