Rate My Professor John Crassidis

John Crassidis is the Moog Professor of Innovation and a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering within the University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He holds positions as Executive Director of the Collaborative Institute for Multisource Information Fusion and Director of the Center for Space Cyber Strategy and Cyber Security. Additionally, he is the founder and director of the UB Nanosatellite Laboratory since 2011, where more than 100 students each year design, build, and test satellites for the Air Force and NASA. A three-time University at Buffalo alumnus, Crassidis received his BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1989, MS in Mechanical Engineering in 1991, and PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 1993. His professional career began with roles at Ford Motor Company and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, followed by faculty appointments at the Catholic University of America and Texas A&M University, before joining the University at Buffalo faculty in 2001.

Crassidis's research focuses on spacecraft attitude determination and control, formation flying guidance and navigation, robust nonlinear control, vehicle attitude dynamics, space situational awareness, and space debris tracking. His expertise supports collaborations with NASA, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, and the Department of Defense to improve detection and tracking of orbital debris, enhancing astronaut safety during space missions and protecting U.S. space assets. He has advised 22 PhD students, 52 master's students, and mentored 40 undergraduate projects, providing opportunities for hundreds of students through partnerships such as those with Moog Inc., the Air Force Research Laboratory, and NASA. Crassidis has received numerous honors, including election as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and American Astronautical Society; the AAS Dirk Brouwer Award; the UB President Emeritus and Mrs. Meyerson Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring in 2017; the AIAA/ASEE J. Leland Atwood Award in 2016; the UB Richard T. Sarkin Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2014; and the SUNY Distinguished Professor designation in 2019.