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Jason Gross, Professor and Chair
Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
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Dr. Jason N. Gross

Jason Gross

304.293.3770

Professor and Chairperson
Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering

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CV as of May 2025

Education: 

Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, West Virginia University

Short Bio:

Gross received his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from WVU in 2011 and his undergraduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering from WVU in 2007. He served as WVU's Student Body President from 2006-2007. From 2011 to December 2013, he worked as a Technologist in the Near Earth Tracking Applications Group at Caltech's NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His research focuses on robotic systems and unmanned aerial systems, emphasizing perception and localization. He directs the WVU Navigation Lab, coordinates WVU’s growing robotics program, and led WVU’s Space Robotics Challenge 2 team.

Gross has received several awards for his research, including the WVU Statler College New Researcher of the Year (2016), WVU Statler College Outstanding Research – Senior Level (2021), Institute of Navigation Per Enge Early Achievement award (2024), and Institute of Navigation Samuel M. Burka award (2024). In 2024, he was elevated to AIAA Associate Fellow. For his teaching, Gross received the WVU Statler College Outstanding Teaching Award (2017) and WVU Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Academies of Distinguished Alumni Teaching Award (2019). For his service contributions, he has been awarded the WVU Values Coin (2019), WV State Journal 40 under 40 (2023), Scouting America North Star Award (2025), and WVU Richard T. Feller Outstanding Alumni Award (2025).

Since 2022, Gross has served as the Chair of the MMAE Department, which houses degree programs in Mechanical Engineering (Minor, BS, MS, PhD), Aerospace Engineering (Minor, BS, MS, PhD), Materials Science Engineering (MS and PhD), and Robotics Engineering (Minor and BS). WVU’s MMAE department boasts one of the largest research enterprises at the university and sponsors numerous hands-on, award-winning, faculty-mentored engineering student design competition teams each year.

Professional Societies

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) , Associate Fellow

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) , Senior Member

Institute of Navigation (ION)