Boris Benedikter

Spring 2027 PhD openings in trustworthy aerospace autonomy at Oklahoma State University–Tulsa. Boris Benedikter (Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering) is recruiting multiple fully funded PhD students to join a new research group in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University. The group works at the intersection of optimal control , machine learning , and autonomous aerospace systems . Research themes include optimal and uncertainty-aware guidance and control, trajectory optimization, model predictive control, stochastic optimal control, covariance control, chance-constrained planning, risk-aware guidance, reinforcement-learning-enhanced MPC, physics-informed neural networks, imitation learning, safe learning, transfer/meta-learning, formal verification, runtime assurance, and experimental validation on real hardware. Planned experimental platforms include autonomous UAVs, indoor motion-capture and outdoor flight testing, hardware-in-the-loop validation, and a spacecraft test platform for studying rendezvous, proximity operations, docking, formation flight, and on-orbit servicing. Students may contribute across theory, algorithms, simulation, hardware, and flight/experimental validation. The positions are based at OSU-Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and are intended for students with strong quantitative and technical preparation. Relevant backgrounds include aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical/computer engineering, robotics, computer science, applied mathematics, controls, optimization, and related fields. An M.S. is preferred but not required. Strong bachelor’s-level applicants with relevant research or technical experience are also encouraged. Funding is fully covered through graduate teaching and/or research assistantships, with a $2,300/month stipend before taxes , full tuition waiver , and subsidized graduate-assistant health insurance. Interested applicants should first submit the interest form with a CV/resumé and short cover letter. If there is a good fit, the professor will arrange an informal research conversation and then help guide the applicant through the formal OSU PhD application. International students should plan ahead for English-proficiency documentation and contact the professor a few weeks before the formal deadline. Formal OSU application deadline for international students: October 1, 2026. Spring 2027 positions start in January 2027.