| G. H. Gaonkar | |
| Birth Date: | 1936 |
| Birth Place: | India |
| Citizenship: | United States |
| Occupation: | Professor of Engineering |
| Spouses: | Dr. Ann Gaonkar |
| Field: | Helicopter Engineering |
| Work Institution: | Florida Atlantic University, Florida, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, University of Southern Illinois, Edwardsville, Washington University in St. Louis |
| Alma Mater: | Washington University in St. Louis VJTI, Mumbai, B.V.B. College of Engineering & Technology, Hubli |
| Known For: | Helicopter dynamics, floquet theory, parallel computing |
| Prizes: | 2005 American Helicopter Society's Fellow Award |
Gopal H. Gaonkar (born 1936) is a professor of engineering at Florida Atlantic University, Florida. His research interest is in Helicopter dynamics, Floquet theory and Large-Scale and parallel computing. Gaonkar is a recipient of American Helicopter Society's Fellow Award in 2005,[1] was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Helicopter Society, and a member of the AHS Technical Council.[2]
Born and raised in Hanehalli village, Gaonkar completed his high school (1955) from the A. H. School, Bankikodla. Gaonkar earned a B.E. degree (1960) in Civil Engineering from B.V.B. College of Engineering & Technology (Now known as KLE Technological University), Hubli, a M.E. degree (1963) in Civil Engineering from VJTI, Mumbai and a D.Sc. degree (1967) in Helicopter Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to joining FAU, Gaonkar was a research professor at the University of Southern Illinois, Edwardsville and a professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. During the year 2009–2010, Gaonkar was a visiting professor at Washington University in St. Louis, his alma mater.He is married to Anasuya Gaonkar, and has two daughters. He has four grandsons and two granddaughters.