Dr. Aroh Barjatya is Professor of Engineering Physics and Director of the Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab. He is a space systems expert with an eye for looking at the big picture and a passion for finding efficient out-of-the-box solutions for tough technical, analytical and management problems. His research interests and active projects span small satellites, sounding rockets, high altitude balloons, spacecraft charging, embedded electronics, space situational awareness and space systems engineering. As of May 2025, he is also serving as the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Barjatya has written or co-written eleven successful proposals over the last decade to various federal funding agencies that resulted in over $74M of funding for delivering hardware to be launched in sounding rockets, CubeSats/SmallSats and high-altitude balloons. He has overseen seven space flight projects from the proposal stage to requirements review, PDR, CDR, MRR, launch and commissioning. He is currently part of six additional missions, including a NASA mission to Mars.
As a tenured Full Professor and Program Coordinator for Engineering Physics program, he led and developed a five-year strategic plan for the department, started the Spacecraft Instrumentation area of concentration within the major and performed annual assessment of the program, including a five-year comprehensive review that provided a metrics-based assessment of progress.
He is active member in multiple cross disciplinary academic societies such as AGU, Senior Member in IEEE, AIAA, etc. He has also organized sessions and panels at multiple conferences and workshops.
He currently chairs the Heliophysics Technology Program Assessment Group and serves on the NASA Space Environment Technical Definition Team. He is a past member of the NASA Heliophysics Advisory Committee and the NASA Sounding Rocket Working Group.
Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering: Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University
M.S. - Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Utah State University
IEEE Senior Member
AGU Member
AIAA Member
AAAS Member
- NASA Outstanding Public Leadership Medal, 2025
- Eagle Research Award from the Office of Vice President of Research, 2024 and 2025
- Dean's Award for Graduate Student Mentorship, 2023
- Dean’s Award for Leadership and Innovation, College of Arts and Sciences, 2021
- Outstanding Researcher of the Year, ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, 2019
- Outstanding Graduate Student, ECE Department, USU, Logan, UT, 2007
- Outstanding Paper Award, Spacecraft Charging Technology Conference, 2005
- Outstanding Poster Award, AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CAÂ Â Â Â 2004