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Umberto Saetti, assistant professor in the University of Maryland (UMD) Department of Aerospace Engineering, was named a 2025 recipient of the prestigious François-Xavier Bagnoud Award from the Vertical Flight Society (VFS). This award recognizes his outstanding contributions to vertical flight research and leadership that are shaping the future of rotorcraft simulation, control and pilot training.
Presented annually to a society member age 35 or younger, the award honors individuals whose work has significantly advanced rotorcraft technology.
“Many of today’s leading figures in rotorcraft research have received this award early in their careers, and I am truly honored to be recognized among them,” said Saetti. “This distinction further motivates me to continue advancing vertical flight research and contributing to the Vertical Flight Society and the broader rotorcraft community.”
Saetti’s research spans flight dynamics and control, aeromechanics, aeroacoustics, and human-machine interaction. He directs UMD’s Extended Reality Flight Simulation and Control Lab, which integrates virtual and augmented reality, haptic feedback systems, spatial audio, and brain-machine interfaces to model and improve pilot performance and rotorcraft control systems. His work contributes to the design of next-generation vertical lift vehicles and immersive pilot training tools.
A recipient of multiple early-career honors, Saetti was also awarded the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award in 2022, a 2024 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program award and the 2024 Aerospace Control and Guidance Systems Committee Dave Ward Memorial Lecture award. He earned his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and dual M.Sc. degrees in aerospace and electrical engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and a B.Sc. in aerospace engineering from Politecnico di Milano in Italy.
Prior to joining the University of Maryland, Saetti held faculty and research positions at Auburn University, Georgia Tech, and the U.S. Army Aviation Development Directorate at NASA Ames.
Saetti will be recognized during the VFS Grand Awards Banquet on May 22, part of the 81st Annual Forum and Technology Display in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Other notable UMD recipients of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Award include Professor Anubhav Datta (2006), as well as many department alumni.
The Vertical Flight Society, established in 1943, is the world's premier professional organization for advancing vertical flight technology. More information about the awards and recipients is available at vtol.org/awards.
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March 24, 2025
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