Dr. Bellur L. Nagabhushan is a Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri since 1988. He was born in Tiptur, India, and migrated to the United States in 1971 after graduating with a B.Tech. Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. Degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, and joined Goodyear Aerospace Corp. (presently Lockheed Martin Co.) in Akron, OH, in 1976. Here, he conducted research and development work on Lighter-Than-Air vehicles and tactical systems. Prof. Nagabhushan is both nationally and internationally recognized for his pioneering work on evolving advanced buoyant rotorcraft for heavy lift applications and, on modernizing conventional airships using thrust-vector control for V/STOL flight and for precision control during low speed handling and maneuvers. Modern airships have continued to adopt his original proposals even to date. He also invented and demonstrated sequential dispensing concepts for smart munition dispensers used in defense systems. Subsequently, he worked in Bendix division of the Allied Signal Aerospace Company in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where he was involved in developing FBW flight control system for aircraft.

Prof. Nagabhushan teaches courses in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at both graduate and undergraduate levels. He has mentored many students and served as their thesis advisor. He is also internationally recognized for his expertise in LTA vehicles and technology. He continues to serve as a technical consultant in this field.

Prof. Nagabhushan was elected as an Associate Fellow of AIAA in 1983 and as a Fellow of The Aeronautical Society of India in 1997. He is the principal author of nearly 100 research papers and articles in archival engineering journals and, holds several patents. He has been an Associate Editor of the Journal of Aircraft since 1983 and has served on AIAA National Technical Committees on Atmospheric Flight Mechanics, V/STOL Aircraft Systems, and LTA Systems and Technology. He has received numerous awards including over a dozen Goodyear Engineering Awards for Technical Achievement; AIAA Distinguished Service Award for service and technical leadership in Atmospheric Flight Mechanics; Saint Louis University Presidential Faculty Scholar Finalist Award for distinguished service.