KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 9, 2026

For Goyal, the recognition represents decades of dedication and perseverance across different fields.
鈥淚t鈥檚 30 years in the making,鈥 Goyal said. 鈥淲hen you start your career, you have no idea where you鈥檙e 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.鈥
Born in India and raised in Puerto Rico, Goyal earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayag眉ez before completing his master鈥檚 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鈥檚 .
At Kennesaw State, Goyal supports the University鈥檚 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.
鈥淥ne thing I try to instill in students is that there are no shortcuts,鈥 Goyal said. 鈥淵ou need to think critically and not just accept information at face value.鈥
He also encourages students to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process, emphasizing that 鈥渇ailure is part of the equation in success.鈥
鈥淒r. Goyal is a distinguished engineer whose contributions have had a significant positive impact on our students, department, and the broader engineering community,鈥 Interim Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering Valmiki Sooklal said.
鈥 Story by Raynard Churchwell
Photo provided

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 黑料网 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.