Ronald O. Stearman
Professor
Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
Bettie Margaret Smith Professor in Engineering
Phone: (512) 471-4169
Fax: (512) 471-3788
Email: aerial@mail.utexas.edu
Dr. Ronald Stearman earned his Ph.D. in aeronautical engineering from
the California Institute of Technology in 1961. He joined the faculty of
The University of Texas at Austin in 1966. He directed the Center for
Aeronautical Research from 1980 to 1987. In 2000, he won a Computerworld
Smithsonian Award for his innovative development of a simple aircraft
structural health monitoring system.
Dr. Stearman researches structural dynamics and aeroelasticity with
current emphasis on the development of analytical/experimental nonlinear
system identification techniques. Stearman's innovative aviation safety
research has included using the structural acoustic sounds imposed on a
cockpit voice recorder by the triboelectric effect (which causes static
electricity and is inherent in aircraft wiring) to identify the cause of
an airline accident. This technique has the potential for use as a
health monitoring system in aircraft, spacecraft and other
transportation systems.
Research Interests:
- Aircraft safety, and structural acoustics
- Aeroelastic and structural dynamic nonlinear system identification
- Higher order statistics
- Reliability engineering