PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Naomi Leonard

Naomi Leonard is a control theorist whose work links autonomous underwater robotics with coordinated decision-making and ocean sampling. She completed undergraduate study at Princeton and graduate study at Maryland, then joined Princeton's faculty in 1994 and became a full professor in 2003. Over her career, she received the 2004 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2023 IEEE Control Systems Award, the 2024 Bellman Control Heritage Award, and the 2025 IEEE George Axelby Outstanding Paper Award; ASME selected her for the 2026 Rufus Oldenburger Medal. As of October 2026, she is Chair and Edwin S. Wilsey Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton.

Works
397
Citations
17,679
h-index
65
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 27 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1985–1994

    Degrees and electric power work

    She earns a B.S.E. from Princeton in 1985 and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Maryland in 1991 and 1994. Before doctoral study, she works as an engineer in the electric power industry.

  2. 1994–2003

    Princeton professor promotions

    She becomes an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton in 1994, advances to associate professor in 1999, and becomes a full professor in 2003.

  3. August 2003

    AOSN-II glider field test

    In August 2003, an algorithm she develops with colleagues is demonstrated on a network of autonomous underwater gliders in Monterey Bay during the month-long AOSN-II field experiment.

  4. 2004

    A MacArthur Fellowship

    She becomes a MacArthur Fellow in 2004. Her work develops miniature autonomous underwater vehicles that mimic schooling fish.

  5. August 2006

    Adaptive ocean sampling

    In August 2006, she leads the Adaptive Sampling and Prediction project in a Monterey Bay field experiment. The month-long field experiment deploys a full-scale adaptive ocean sampling network.

  6. 2023

    IEEE Control Systems Award

    In 2023, she receives the IEEE Control Systems Award for contributions to applications and theory for control of nonlinear and multiagent systems.

  7. 2024

    Richard E. Bellman Award

    She receives the 2024 Richard E. Bellman Control Heritage Award for contributions to geometric control, networked multiagent systems, and connections to ecology, neuroscience, and the arts.

  8. 2025

    George S. Axelby Paper Award

    In 2025, she shares the IEEE CSS George S. Axelby Outstanding Paper Award with Anastasia Bizyaeva and Alessio Franci.

  9. 2026

    ASME Rufus Oldenburger Medal

    ASME selects her to receive the 2026 Rufus Oldenburger Medal for work in control, collective decision-making, and multi-robot systems.

  10. As of October 2026

    Chair and Wilsey Professor

    As of October 2026, she is Chair and Edwin S. Wilsey Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton. Her work studies opinion dynamics that help robotic networks make complex decisions and avoid deadlock.

Career

  1. Since 2003Princeton UniversityFull Professor, Edwin S. Wilsey Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Education

  1. 1994University of MarylandPh.D.
  2. 1991University of MarylandM.S.
  3. 1985Princeton UniversityB.S.E.

From the biography.

Checked career sources: ieeecss.org, naomi.princeton.edu.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. Naomi Leonard - MacArthur Foundation macfound.org. Checked 26 October 2026.
  2. Short biography for Naomi Ehrich Leonard | Leonard Lab naomi.princeton.edu. Checked 26 October 2026.
  3. Publications | Leonard Lab naomi.princeton.edu. Checked 26 October 2026.
  4. Naomi Leonard - 2023 recipient of IEEE Control Systems Award ieeecss.org. Checked 26 October 2026.
  5. Richard E. Bellman Control Heritage Award | A2C2 a2c2.org. Checked 26 October 2026.
  6. Anastasia Bizyaeva, Alessio Franci, Naomi Leonard - 2025 recipient of IEEE CSS George S. Axelby Outstanding Paper Award ieeecss.org. Checked 26 October 2026.
  7. Leonard Lab | Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering naomi.princeton.edu. Checked 26 October 2026.