The Lehigh Engineering community is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of alumnus and visiting lecturer Geoffrey Andrews ’15, who died in a plane crash on June 19, 2025, at age 30.
A rising leader in the field of hypersonic aerodynamics, Andrews had recently returned to his alma mater to teach a graduate-level course as a visiting lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics (MEM), playing a key role in the Lehigh Aerospace Initiative.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh in 2015 before completing his MS and PhD in aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue University.
Andrews brought tremendous energy and dedication to everything he pursued, whether working as a member of the technical staff within the Structural and Thermal Fluids Engineering Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, volunteering with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), or inspiring future engineers through K-12 STEM outreach.
Prior to joining MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Andrews worked at NASA’s Glenn Research Center and the Von Karman Institute for Fluid Mechanics. His return to Lehigh as an instructor earlier this year fulfilled a personal goal to help students engage with the cutting edge of aerospace engineering.
“Geoffrey was one of the most exceptional students I’ve had the pleasure of teaching, and it was a real joy to welcome him back to Lehigh this year as a visiting lecturer,” said Professor Terry Hart ’68, director of Lehigh’s aerospace minor in mechanical engineering and former NASA astronaut. “He brought not only deep technical expertise in hypersonics, but also a contagious enthusiasm for teaching and mentoring others.”
Professor Arindam Banerjee, MEM department chair, added: “Geoffrey has been instrumental in helping design an MS program in Aerospace and Space Systems Engineering that is set for launch this Fall semester. He helped shape our aerospace program as a student and was poised to do even more as a colleague. We enjoyed having him back to teach our students; his loss is heartbreaking, and he will be profoundly missed by all of us who knew him.”
Additional tributes and remembrances can be found at: