Jay Wilhelm

Dr. Jay Wilhelm is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Ohio University’s Russ College of Engineering and Technology. His research profile includes uncrewed aerial system autopilots, aerial collision avoidance, non-GNSS navigation, autonomous automobile systems, advanced air mobility, and sensor systems. He has been funded through research grants by the Air Force Research Lab, Army Research Lab, NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the US Department of Transportation, and the Ohio Department of Transportation. At Ohio University, he taught mechatronics, automated control systems, experimental design, senior capstone, and rockets and missiles. As of 2025, he has over 75 publications covering autonomous system innovations in aerospace and autonomous vehicle work.

At WVU, Jay obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (2010), M.S. in Electrical Engineering (2005), and B.S. in Computer Engineering (2003), all from West Virginia University. He was inducted into the Eta Kappa Nu engineering honorary and is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). After finishing graduate school, Jay worked as a Research Assistant Professor in the Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering Department at WVU for 5 years.

Jay lives in Athens, Ohio, with his Wife (Charity – also a WVU alumnus) and their two children.