MAE Distinguished Professor Ann Karagozian was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), which made the announcement on February 7, 2018.

Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.  Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”

Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAE’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, 2018.

The citation is as follows:

Ann R. Karagozian, distinguished professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.
For contributions to combustion and propulsion, education of future aerospace engineers, and service to the country.

Karagozian directs UCLA’s Energy and Propulsion Research Laboratory and is the director of the Collaborative Center for Aerospace Sciences, a joint venture between the Air Force Research Laboratory and UCLA.

Her research interests are in fluid mechanics and combustion, with applications to improved engine efficiency, reduced emissions, alternative fuels, and advanced rocket and air breathing propulsion systems.

For more than a decade, Karagozian has served on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, including as vice chair from 2005 to 2009. The board provides the Air Force with independent advice on matters of science and technology relating to its mission

Karagozian has received numerous honors, including the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service (in 2001 and 2010), UCLA MAE Department Award for Outstanding Teaching, and the TRW-UCLA Excellence in Teaching Award. She is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Since 2011, she has served on the Board of Trustees for the Institute for Defense Analyses, a not-for-profit corporation that operates three federally funded research and development centers in the public interest. . She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the American University of Armenia, a UC affiliate.

Karagozian has served UCLA in many roles, including as interim vice chancellor for research and chair of the Academic Senate.

Karagozian received her bachelor’s degree in engineering from UCLA, graduating summa cum laude. She received her master’s degree and doctorate from Caltech. She joined the UCLA faculty in 1982 and has advised 26 Ph.D. recipients, 53 M.S. recipients, and has supervised 13 postdoctoral scholars and visiting scientists.