KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 9, 2026

Kennesaw State University part-time professor Vijay Goyal has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Class of 2026. The distinction is one of the organization’s highest honors and recognizes engineers who have made significant contributions to research, industry, education, and the engineering profession.

For Goyal, the recognition represents decades of dedication and perseverance across different fields.

“It’s 30 years in the making,” Goyal said. “When you start your career, you have no idea where you’re going to land. You just hope your day-to-day effort, putting in more than 100 percent every day, somehow pays off in the end. The fact that someone wanted to nominate me and get endorsement letters from academia, government, and industry was just awesome.” 

Born in India and raised in Puerto Rico, Goyal earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez before completing his master’s and doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering at Virginia Tech. He has worked at NASA Langley Research Center. 

After earning his doctorate, Goyal joined the University of Puerto Rico as a professor, where he spent more than 15 years as a tenured faculty member. During that time, he also conducted research at U.S. Navy facilities over several summers. In 2017, he transitioned fully into the aerospace industry, joining Lockheed Martin while serving as an adjunct professor in Kennesaw State’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SPCEET).

At Kennesaw State, Goyal supports the University’s aerospace program while mentoring and teaching future engineers. He said helping students grow, think critically, and learn from failure has become one of the most rewarding parts of his career.

“One thing I try to instill in students is that there are no shortcuts,” Goyal said. “You need to think critically and not just accept information at face value.”

He also encourages students to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process, emphasizing that “failure is part of the equation in success.” 

“Dr. Goyal is a distinguished engineer whose contributions have had a significant positive impact on our students, department, and the broader engineering community,” Interim Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering Valmiki Sooklal said.

– Story by Raynard Churchwell

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.