Palo elected an AIAA fellow

Professor Scott Palo has been elected a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

Palo is the Charles Victor Schelke Endowed Professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences and a former associate dean for research in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Palo has a multifaceted research portfolio with foci on the design, construction, and deployment of small satellites; the development of meteor radar systems to study the upper atmosphere; and understanding large-scale atmospheric dynamics in the near earth space environment.

Much of his scientific work has focused on the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and he has earned the United States Antarctic Service Medal for his work meteor radar work in Antarctica over the past 20 years..

Palo has been a member of the aerospace faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder since 2001.

In addition to his work at the university, Palo has served on the board of directors of the Colorado Space Business Roundtable and has consulted for Blue Canyon Technologies, which designs, builds, tests, launches and operates small satellites. These experiences led Palo to found Blue Cubed Communications LLC which is developing small satellite laser communication systems.

Palo has a strong reputation for his work in ground-based observing networks, remote sensing, and meteor radar design. His efforts have advanced small satellites as a viable means to expand our understanding of near-Earth space and beyond.

He earned his undergraduate degree in electrical and computer engineering at Clarkson University and completed his master’s and PhD in electrical engineering at CU Boulder.

Palo will be officially inducted as an AIAA Fellow at a special association dinner on Wednesday, May 17, in Arlington, Virginia.