Professor Emeritus, Auburn University
B.A.E. 1966, Auburn University
M.S. AE 1967, Auburn University
Ph.D. ASE 1970, The University of Texas at Austin
J.D. 1976, Jones Law School
John Cochran is professor emeritus of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University. After retiring as head of the department in 2013, he has continued to teach graduate courses in dynamics and control of aircraft and spacecraft as a visiting professor to students on campus and through Engineering Online.
Cochran received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in aerospace engineering from Auburn University and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He also received a J.D. degree from Jones Law School.
His professional career in higher education has been spent almost exclusively at Auburn University as an instructor in aerospace engineering in 1967 and 1969 to assistant, associate and professor in 1970, 1975 and 1980, respectively, and served as the department head from 1993 to 2013. From 1981 to 1984 he was also the associate director of athletics. Cochran also spent a semester at the University of Virginia in 1975 as a visiting associate professor. After receiving his Ph.D., he directed graduate students in research in astrodynamics and flight dynamics. After receiving his J.D. and passing the State of Alabama bar exam (1977), he taught engineering law and ethics courses. Cochran obtained research funds from NASA, the U. S. Army, the U. S. Air Force Office for Scientific Research, the U. S. Department of Transportation and private industry. Since 1977, Cochran has been an expert witness in litigation involving engineering and intellectual property and has been president and CEO of Eaglemark, Inc. since 1984.
Cochran was the Auburn associate director of athletics for three years during which Bo Jackson and Charles Barkley were Auburn athletes. He has been involved in developing proposals and conducting and directing research in spacecraft attitude dynamics and control for NASA, developing simulations of missile launcher dynamics for the Army in the1970s and guidance laws for space-based interceptors for the Air Force during the “Star Wars” period of the 1980s. As department head, he established the Aerospace Engineering Advisory Council that supported the department continuously and especially during critical periods and obtained funding for several laboratory facilities. Cochran is very proud of the graduate students he directed, of which at least four are professors. He has more than 100 publications in refereed journals and conference proceedings.
A Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) (2005) and the American Astronautical Society (AAS) (1992), Cochran is a recipient of the Hermann Oberth Award from the Greater Huntsville Section of the AIAA (2017), an Outstanding Alumnus of the Auburn aerospace department (2014), and received a Walter Gilbert Award (for Auburn athletes’ career achievements after graduation) (2012). He has been a contributor to the ASE/EM department for many years.
Cochran lives in Auburn, Alabama, with his wife, Carol. They have five grandchildren: two thanks to their son Chris (deceased) and his wife Caroline and three thanks to their son Jonathan and his wife Sara. They enjoy attending City of Auburn recreation basketball and soccer games.
