Faculty and Staff

Chair

Robert Gao

Department Chair, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Cady Staley Professor of Engineering

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Develops multi-physics sensing and stochastic modeling methods for improving observability in dynamical systems

Faculty

Ozan Akkus

Kent H. Smith Professor

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Creates biologically active and mechanically functional tissue repair systems, and develops chemical imaging instrumentation for noninvasive biomedical and hazard diagnostics

Richard Bachmann

Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Researches biologically inspired robotics

Paul Barnhart

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Researches aerospace system design, propulsion, gas dynamics, shock wave boundary layer interactions and fluid/thermal systems modeling

Sunniva Collins

Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Engineers metallic surfaces for improved performance; selects materials and designs manufacturing processes for innovative outcomes

Kathryn Daltorio

Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Co-Director, Biologically-Inspired Robotics Lab

Develops robots that can traverse and operate in new environments, inspired by biological models of smart physical systems

Robert Gao

Department Chair, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Cady Staley Professor of Engineering

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Develops multi-physics sensing and stochastic modeling methods for improving observability in dynamical systems

Umut Gurkan

Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Improves human health via research in cell mechanics to develop biosensors and point-of-care systems

Steve Hostler

Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Chirag Kharangate

Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Explores energy, thermal management of electronics and computational fluid dynamics

Bo Li

Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Develops HPC-based computational methods for the dynamic behavior and failure processes in materials and structures under extreme conditions

Ya-Ting Liao

George B. Mayer Assistant Professorship in Urban and Environmental Studies

Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Creates computational models of combustion, fire and fire behavior and develops fire-resistant structures

Brian Maxwell

Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Develop next-generation propulsion systems and develop advanced theory of supersonic and reactive systems

Roger Quinn

Arthur P. Armington Professor of Engineering

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Director, Biologically Inspired Robotics

Develops neural and mechanical models of animals and uses data to design and control robots and exoskeletons

Clare Rimnac

Wilbert J. Austin Professor of Engineering

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Advances the long-term performance of implants and structural bone allografts through material analysis and characterization

Bryan Schmidt

Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Fumi Takahashi

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Develops fire safety technologies and investigates combustion phenomena for practical applications

Chris Yingchun Yuan

Leonard Case, Jr. Professorship in Engineering

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Researches manufacturing science and sustainability performance of lithium-ion batteries, solar cells and nanotechnologies

Research Faculty

R Balasubramaniam

Research Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Enables the development and understanding of thermal and fluid systems to advance space exploration

Uday Hegde

Research Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Develops supercritical water oxidation technologies for waste management and water reclamation for extended duration space missions

Olga Kartuzova

Research Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Studies and develops computational models for cryogenic storage tanks, and investigates zero boil-off tanks

Mohammad Kassemi

Research Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Researches microgravity fluid physics and combustion research, including ZBOT, cryogenic fluid management, propellant tank models and gravity’s impact on systems