Professor Hanspeter Schaub is the new chair of the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Schaub was elected chair by the Smead Aerospace faculty. He succeeds Brian Argrow, who is stepping down from the position after five years of service.
“I’m looking forward to leading a department with so many exciting research and educational activities related to the aerospace field,” Schaub said. “I see a key component of the department chair role as being a department champion, making it possible for faculty, staff and students to excel and be recognized for their work.”
A member of the CU Boulder faculty since 2007, Schaub is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a 2020 recipient of the Collegiate Educator of the Year award from the Rocky Mountain chapter of AIAA.
The aerospace department and CU Boulder have also honored him for excellence in faculty mentoring, research, and teaching.
Schaub has conducted significant research into orbital mechanics, charged astrodynamics, and space debris removal. He leads a large research lab, currently advising 17 PhD students and 10 master’s candidates.
He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University.
As chair, Argrow shepherded the department through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and led the construction stages of the dedicated Aerospace Engineering Sciences building, which was completed in 2019. He remains a member of the aerospace faculty.
Schaub officially took the reins of the department on July 1, 2022.