Professor Derek Paley Wins 2024 Clark School Research Award

award

Dr. Derek Paley, professor of aerospace engineering and director of the Maryland Robotics Center, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Senior Faculty Outstanding Research Award by the A. James Clark School of Engineering.

This prestigious award recognizes senior faculty whose research contributions have significantly advanced the university’s mission and elevated the reputation of the Clark School. Dr. Paley was recognized for his exemplary leadership in establishing a successful robotics laboratory, his dedication to mentoring emerging scholars, and his central role in launching the ARTIAMAS cooperative agreement with the Army Research Lab.

As director of the Maryland Robotics Center, Dr. Paley has helped shape the university’s interdisciplinary robotics research ecosystem, fostering collaborations across engineering, computer science, and the sciences. His research focuses on autonomous systems, control theory, and distributed sensing—areas that directly support national priorities in defense, transportation, and environmental monitoring.

Dr. Paley also holds the Willis H. Young Jr. Professorship in Aerospace Engineering and is an Associate Fellow of AIAA and a Senior Member of IEEE. His work has been continuously supported by major federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and NASA.

The Clark School will formally recognize Dr. Paley’s contributions at the 2024 Spring Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony on May 14 in Clark Hall’s Zupnik Forum.

Published April 23, 2025