Dr. Arthur Reyes

Recognized for the first time in 2010, the Academic Champion Award honors an individual or institution whose activities encourage students’ interests in the area of robotics and provides them with opportunities for hands-on experience developing robotic technology.

In November 2009 the unmanned systems and robotics community lost a great advocate and inspiring educator. Dr. Arthur Reyes was a Senior Lecturer and Undergraduate Advisor at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). After joining the UTA faculty in 1999 as an Assistant Professor, Dr. Reyes began teaching senior and masters level courses in software engineering. He served on the department’s undergraduate studies committee.

Dr. Reyes was a key member of UTA’s Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory (AVL) – an inter-departmental, multi-disciplinary faculty team focused on autonomous systems research and education. In addition to providing stewardship of the AVL, Dr. Reyes was very active in the AUVSI Student Unmanned Aerial Vehicle/System Competition beginning in 2004. His passion for the technology of unmanned systems and his love of innovation was an inspiration to his students. His infectious enthusiasm inspired more than one student to pursue a career in the unmanned systems industry.

With funding provided by a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission, Dr. Reyes was instrumental in organizing and conducting free Autonomous Vehicle summer camps for high school students as well as weeklong

Autonomous Vehicle Systems Design workshops for working professionals. He was also active in promoting Autonomous Systems education and research within in the greater North Texas region and was a charter member of the AUVSI Lone Star Chapter since its formation in 2006. It is with deep gratitude for his service that Dr. Reyes is awarded posthumously the Academic Champion Award.