Randal W. Beard
Also known as Randy Beard, Randal Beard, Randall W. Beard, Randall Beard
Randal Beard is a BYU researcher whose work focuses on autonomous aircraft guidance, control, and multi-vehicle coordination. He earned degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics at the University of Utah and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, then held research posts at JPL and the Air Force Research Laboratory. At BYU, he co-founded MAGICC Lab, whose teams developed the Kestrel autopilot and studied cooperative control for UAVs. With Tim McLain, he co-wrote Small Unmanned Aircraft: Theory and Practice; he became an IEEE Fellow in 2015 and an AIAA Fellow in 2021, and received the AIAA Intelligent Systems Award in 2024. As of October 2026, he chairs BYU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
- Now at
- Brigham Young University
- Works
- 388
- Citations
- 33,986
- h-index
- 60
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.
Timeline
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1991–1995
Electrical engineering and math
He earns a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Utah in 1991. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he earns M.S. degrees in electrical engineering in 1993 and mathematics in 1994, then a Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1995.
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1997–2007
Research at JPL and AFRL
He serves as a Summer Faculty Fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1997 and 1998 and as a National Council Research Fellow at the Air Force Research Laboratory in 2006 and 2007.
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1999
Co-founding MAGICC Lab
He and Tim McLain co-found the MAGICC Lab in 1999. The lab researches navigation, guidance, and control for teams of autonomous UAVs.
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2005
Autonomous micro-vehicle project
In a 2005 report, Beard and Tim McLain set out objectives for autonomous micro vehicles: flight-test magnetometers and height sensors, and develop automatic gain-adjustment and trim-seeking algorithms for the autopilot.
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By 2012
The Kestrel autopilot
The MAGICC Lab develops the Kestrel autopilot and algorithms that extend its cooperative and autonomous capabilities. Procerus Technologies licenses and sells the system; Lockheed Martin acquires Procerus in 2012.
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2012
Small Unmanned Aircraft
He and Tim McLain publish Small Unmanned Aircraft: Theory and Practice in 2012.
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2015–2024
Fellowships and an AIAA award
He becomes an IEEE Fellow in 2015 and an AIAA Fellow in 2021. BYU awards him its Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award in 2017, and AIAA presents its Intelligent Systems Award in 2024 for his contributions to guidance and control of autonomous aircraft.
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As of October 2026
Professor and department chair
As of October 2026, he is the Steven V. White University Professor and chair of BYU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Sources and credits
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