Wout De Backer, PhD

Dr. Wout De Backer, is an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina. He is Program Manager for the Robotic Additive Manufacturing team at the McNAIR Center for Aerospace Innovation and Research. He is also a professor in the Aerospace Engineering program at the University of South Carolina, and instructor of the aircraft systems, aircraft design and senior design courses. Dr. De Backer was awarded as one of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and Aviation Week’s 20 Twenties in 2016, and was recognized as one of tomorrow’s aerospace leaders for his contributions to the aerospace field, scientific research and the broader community. He is an active professional member of AIAA, world’s largest aerospace technical society, and is currently the Region II Carolina section vice chair for the Columbia, SC area. Prior to his work at USC, Wout graduated from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands with a Bachelors and Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering. The focus of his studies during his master’s degree was in composite structural design and aircraft design.