1994-95 Annual Report



Get to Know the New Faculty
The Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEAM is well-positioned to meet the challenges it faces as a world-recognized leader in engineering education. The reason for our confidence can best be summarized in the biographical sketches of the new faculty profiled in this section. These are the individuals who will shape and build this department well into the next century.
ME Faculty Ellen M. Arruda, Assistant Professor MEAM (1992) and Macromolecular Science and Engineering (1992). Received her Ph.D. (1992) in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, her M.S. in Mech. Engr. (1988), and B.S. in Engr. Science (1983) from Penn State. At U-M her work is in characterizing the large deformation response in elastomeric networks and in uncrosslinking amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers. Her interdisciplinary investigations in this area have led to a greater understanding of the role of birefringence as an in situ measurement of orientation, and have been funded by both NSF and Ford. She has introduced new, application-intensive courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, and has been a key participant in curriculum revisions. Primary research interests: Structure/processing/ property relationships in polymeric materials and glasses, and constitutive modeling of polymers. ME Faculty Arvind Atreya, Associate Professor (1993). Received his Ph.D. (1983) and S.M. (1978) in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University, and his B.Tech. (1975) in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi. Since joining MEAM, he has focused on revamping the course sequence on combustion, and on establishing a leading research program in the area of fire and combustion. He is a recipient of the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award, and of the Philip Thomas Medal of Excellence for his research on ignition and growth of fires. Primary research interests: Ignition, growth and suppression of fires; flame radiation; combustion generated pollutants; engine combustion; and industrial energy utilization.
ME Faculty Dionissios (Dennis) N. Assanis, Professor (1994). Received his Ph.D. in Power and Propulsion (1985), and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering (1982) and Management (1986) from MIT. He earned his B.S. in Marine Engineering (1980) and M.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (1982) from Newcastle University, England. Prior to joining the MEAM faculty, he was associate professor of mechanical engineering, head of a thermal sciences/systems division, associate professor of supercomputing applications, and NCSA research scientist at the University of Illinois. Assanis designed and directs MEAMÍs new Masters of Automotive Engineering degree program. He has been a consultant to GM and NASA, and is a recipient of numerous professional, science, and teaching awards. Primary research interests: Thermal and fluid sciences and their applications to automotive systems design, internal combustion engine processes and systems. ME Faculty Diann E. Brei , Assistant Professor (1994). Received her Ph.D. (1993) in Mechanical Engineering and her B.S. (1988) in Computer Systems Engineering from Arizona State University. For her doctoral thesis, she developed a new microelectromechanical actuator building block that can be used to create larger, more functional piezoelectric actuators. At the U-M she has extended her research to include design and development of other novel smart materials and devices and is part of a cross-disciplinary university team investigating new manufacturing processes and applications for these devices, ranging in size from the micro to mesoscale. Brei has worked as a consultant to Ford, and is an emerging national presence in the field of smart materials and structures. Primary research interests: Smart materials and structures, sensor/actuator design; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and design.
ME Faculty Michael M. Bridges , Assistant Professor (1994). Received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Robotics from Clemson University (1994) and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering (1989) from the U-M. His research in the field of electromechanical systems has led to the development of advanced nonlinear controllers for robot manipulators. A regular contributor to trade and academic publications, Bridges recently co-authored the book Nonlinear Control of Robotic Systems for Environmental Waste and Restoration, part of the Prentice Hall series on Environmental and Intelligent Manufacturing Systems. Primary research interests: Nonlinear control of electromechanical systems specializing in the areas of robotics, mechatronics, and manufacturing. ME Faculty Michael M.Chen , Professor (1991). Received his Ph.D. (1961) and S.M. (1957) from MIT. He is a recipient of the ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award and a former director of the NSF Thermal Transport and Thermal Processing Program. Chen has authored or co-authored more than 120 journal articles, book chapters, and other publications. His investigations have focused on transport phenomena fundamentals in engineering and biological systems. Since leaving NSF, his research has extended to laser welding, spray forming and coating. He was a featured speaker at the 1994 IMECE "Materials Technologies for the 21st Century" symposium, and keynote speaker at the 1995 joint ASME/(Japan)SME conference on thermal engineering. Primary research interests: Heat transfer and fluid mechanics, especially problems pertinent to manufacturing and materials processing.
ME Faculty Steven L. Ceccio , Assistant Professor (1990). Received his Ph.D. (1990) and M.S. (1986) in Mechanical Engineering from CalTech and his B.S. (1985) in Mechanical Engineering from the U-M. Since returning to Michigan, he has been instrumental in reengineering the laboratory portions of the undergraduate curriculum. He also has introduced a new graduate-level course on multiphase flow. Ceccio's investigations extend from hydrodynamics of multiphase fluids to net-shape manufacturing of materials. He has conducted extensive research on cavitation for the U.S. Navy, and is designing and building the electrical hardware for a device that Sandia National Laboratory will use to study multiphase flows in chemical reactors. Primary research interests: Basic and applied fluid dynamics and heat transfer, experimental methods. ME Faculty David R. Dowling , Assistant Professor (1992). Received his Ph.D. (1988) and M.S. (1983) in Aeronautics from CalTech. Before coming to Michigan he was a scientist in the Applied Physics Lab at the University of Washington where he studied phase-conjugate acoustic systems. He also was an engineer with Boeing Aerospace and Electronics, Laser Technology Section, where, among other things, he developed heat transfer models, flow systems, and experiments for pulse chemical lasers. Dowling is a primary investigator with the Automotive Research Center, and has introduced both undergraduate and graduate-level courses in engineering acoustics. Primary research interests: Acoustics, turbulent mixing and combustion, atmospheric and oceanic fluid mechanics, wave propagation in fluids, injection molding.
ME Faculty William J. Endres , Assistant Professor (1994). Received his Ph.D. (1992), M.S. (1990), and B.S. (1988) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. During graduate school, he was an independent contractor with Process Design and Control, Champaign. Prior to joining U-M, Endres was a Visiting Assistant Professor at UIUC. Since coming to MEAM, Endres has introduced an undergraduate elective course in machining processes, and helped revamp the first of a two-part undergraduate sequence in mechanical design. Endres has co-developed a new approach to modeling machining forces for cutting tools used in practice. Primary research interests: Cutting mechanics, machining process dynamics, mechanistic modeling techniques. ME Faculty Rida T. Farouki , Professor (1994). Received his Ph.D. (1983) and M.S. (1981) in Astrophysics from Cornell University, and his B.A. (1978) and an honorary M.A. (1982) in Engr. Science from Oxford University. He brings to MEAM 11 years of distinguished service as a research scientist with GE and IBM, and is widely acknowledged for his contributions to the field of computer-aided geometric design. A frequently featured speaker at international conferences, Farouki is also the author of more than 60articles ranging from CAD-related topics to computational physics. He is faculty leader of both the Design Laboratory Group and the Design and Manufacturing instructional area. Farouki is associate editor of the journal Computer-Aided Geometric Design, and has authored CAD software now in commercial use. Primary research interests: All aspects of design, with a special interest in computer-aided geometric design.
ME Faculty Karl Grosh , Assistant Professor (1994). Received his Ph.D. (1994) in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and his M.S. (1988) and B.S. (1985) in Engineering Mechanics from Penn State University. A former research scientist with the Naval Research Laboratory/SFA in Washington, D.C., Grosh has amassed significant experience using GGLS finite element formulations to predict the effects of vibrations on beams, plates, shells, and fluid-loaded structures. He is a member of the Dynamics Lab and has created a course in wave propagation and co-developed a course in acoustics. Primary research interests: Structural acoustics and vibration, finite element methods, biomechanics, smart materials. ME FacultyMehrdad Haghi, Assistant Professor (1992). Received his Ph.D. (1991) and S.M. (1986) in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and his B.S. in Applied Physics from CalTech (1984). A leading proponent of undergraduate research activities and action learning, Haghi is faculty advisor on the UM/SAE Hybrid Electric Car team. He has revised the content of several graduate courses to reflect recent developments in plasticity theory, and applied numerical methods in metal forming. His recent research investigations into material deformation and failure have been underwritten by Whirlpool and NSF. Primary research interests: Metal forming and assembly, FEM and computational mechanics, fracture mechanics and fatigue, plasticity.
ME Faculty Shixin (Jack) Hu, Assistant Professor (1995). Received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the U-M (1990). He is technical director of the NIST ATP sponsored "2mm Program," a research and development joint venture comprised of the Auto Body Consortium, Chrysler, GM, U-M, and Wayne State University. Hu is a frequent guest lecturer and contributing writer on the topics of statistical process control and assembly. He is a recipient of the SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award. Primary research interests: Design and control of manufacturing processes, including statistical approach to the design and control, with special interest in assembly and materials joining processes. ME Faculty Arthur D. Kuo , Assistant Professor (1994). Received his Ph.D. (1993) and M.S. (1989) in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering (1987) from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. His far-ranging investigations in the field of biomechanics have been funded by the Whitaker Foundation, NSF, NIH, and the R.S. Dow Neurological Institute, among others. One product of his research has been the development of a control systems model of human balance which has clinical applications in diagnosing and ameliorating balance deficits in the diseased and elderly. Kuo is a recipient of the Young Investigator Award presented during the 13th Annual International Congress on Biomechanics. Primary research interests: Dynamics and control of human movement, multi-body dynamics.
ME Faculty David W. Mead, Associate Professor (1995). Received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (1988) from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and his M.S. (1979) and B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (1979) from MIT. His post-doctoral studies were performed at AT&T Bell Labs where he worked on liquid crystal polymer rheology; and at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he investigated the rheology of linear flexible polymers. His expertise includes rheo-optical methods of studying material flow. Mead's considerable industrial experience includes tenures with DuPont and Shell. His research on wide-ranging polymer related issues are supported by DuPont, Exxon, British Petroleum and Hewlett-Packard. Primary research interests: Rheology, polymers and polymer processing. ME Faculty Jun Ni , Associate Professor (1993). Received his Ph.D. (1987) and M.S. (1984) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a 1994 recipient of the prestigious NSF Presidential Faculty Fellow Award and current director of the NSF-sponsored Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Dimensional Measurement and Control in Manufacturing. Ni also is director of the S.M. Wu Manufacturing Research Center. Under the sponsorship of various government agencies (NSF, ARPA, NIST, ONR, AFOSR) and industries, Ni has investigated the fundamental issues in error compensation techniques for machine tools, coordinate measuring methods, drills and drilling processes, and machine chatter prevention. Primary research interests: Manufacturing science and engineering, especially precision engineering; machining technology; automotive manufacturing quality improvement.
ME Faculty Huei Peng , Assistant Professor (1993). Received his Ph.D. (1992) in Mechanical Engineering from the UC-Berkeley and his M.S. (1988) from Penn State University. Prior to his MEAM appointment, he was a research engineer at the California PATH program. Peng teaches a variety of control systems courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. His predominant interest is in the automotive/truck sector, and he is one of a group of faculty now working with industry to establish a vehicle dynamics and control curriculum which will offer both solid theoretical and hands-on experience. Primary research interests: Control systems, electromechanical systems, modeling, vehicle dynamics. ME Faculty Ann Marie Sastry , Assistant Professor (1995). Received her Ph.D. (1994) in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. She received many awards for outstanding scholarship and teaching in graduate school, including three Best Student Paper awards at international conferences, and the DuPont Teaching Award. Her current research in the application of micromechanics to material optimization includes damage progression modeling in composites, optimization of battery electrode materials for automotive applications, and modeling of processing-induced micromechanical behavior. She joined the faculty after holding the position of senior member of technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories. Primary research interests: Behavior of porous composites, damage progression analysis and processing of polymeric composites.
ME Faculty Michael D. Thouless , Associate Professor (1995). Received his Ph.D. (1982) and M.S. in Materials Science from UC-Berkeley. After earning his doctorate, he was an assistant research engineer at UC-Berkeley and then in the Materials Department at UC-Santa Barbara. He moved to IBM in 1986 where he worked on a variety of interdisciplinary projects including interfacial fracture mechanics, mechanical properties of thin films and the reliability of micro-electronics. Prior to arriving at Michigan, he was a visiting professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing. Thouless is the author or co-author of more than 50 papers in the areas of mechanics and materials science, and is an associate editor of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society. Primary research interests: Micromechanics modeling of materials, interfacial fracture mechanics and adhesion, mechanical properties of thin films and coatings. ME Faculty Dawn M. Tilbury , Assistant Professor (1995). Received her Ph.D. (1994) in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the UC-Berkeley. As a graduate student she held visiting scholar appointments at LAAS-Toulouse; and LSS-Paris, France; LIDS (MIT) and at Harvard University. At UC-Berkeley, she received an AT&T Ph.D. Fellowship and the Eliahu Jury Award for excellence in systems research. She is one of a small group of researchers applying the theory of exterior differential systems to problems in control theory and robotic motion planning. Since her arrival at MEAM, Tilbury has introduced several curriculum innovations, among them, a Matlab tutorial for ME461 students accessible through the World Wide Web, which won an award from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. Primary research interests: Nonlinear control, hybrid control systems, motion planning for robotics.