ME alumni have been appointed to faculty positions at prestigious institutions around the country, and the world. Recruited for their achievements in theoretical as well as experimental research and industry experience, they now have the opportunity to educate the next generation of engineers.
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Jamie Camelio |
Jamie Camelio
Assistant Professor
Michigan Technological University
In August 2005 Jaime A. Camelio joined the faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering - Engineering Mechanics at Michigan Technological University as assistant professor. He is teaching a senior design course and next year will teach Production Planning, and Assembly Systems.
It was the "strong commitment of the ME-EM department to be nationally recognized as one of the best undergraduate and graduate programs in the nation" that Camelio says drew him to Michigan Tech. "MTU has a well-respected manufacturing program, but it was the quality of their people what really attracted me."
Camelio's research involves investigations of assembly systems modeling and diagnosis; sensor integration and complexity management. Camelio is currently working in new manufacturing process models that allow the transformation of large amounts of data available from new measurement systems into usable process knowledge.
His experience at U-M not only trained Camelio in his areas of research inquiry but "fostered my desire for a career in academia. During my tenure at U-M I had the opportunity to do great research and, at the same time, I received the education I needed to start my own research group," he said.
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Kimberly Cook |
Kimberly Cook
Assistant Professor
Drexel University
Kimberly A. Cook assumed a faculty position as an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at Drexel University on September 1, 2005. She earned her bachelor’s in ME from U-M in 1994, a master’s in ME from Stanford in 1995 and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from U-M in 2005.
Cook's attraction to Drexel was threefold, she said: its strong academic reputation in engineering; its location in a major urban center that affords numerous opportunities for collaboration; and the co-op programs it offers students. "This type of learning environment not only equips students with a tool set for working in industry; it also makes them fun and challenging to teach," she said.
Cook's research focuses on the design of homogeneous and hybrid power supply solutions for applications that span micro to macro scales, specifically applications for power generation and regeneration, storage and distribution of energy via implementation of alternative regenerative energy and design optimization techniques. She currently is researching power supply design strategies for wireless and portable electronics, locomotives for public transportation and power grids.
"My years as a student at U-M molded me into the person and engineer I am today," she said. "My professors, including my research advisor Professor Ann Marie Sastry, taught me that teaching difficult material in a manner that challenges and inspires young people is crucial during the early stages of undergraduate education. My professors helped me navigate a rigorous engineering curriculum by being accessible and dedicated. They fostered my respect for talent from all walks of life and cultivated my desire to perform research to solve problems that benefit society as a whole."
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Theodore Freiheit |
Theodore Freiheit
Assistant Professor
University of Calgary
Theodor Freiheit is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. He earned his PhD in ME at U-M in 2003, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at U-M, and assumed his new role in June of 2005. To date he has team-taught the Mechanical and Manufacturing Senior Capstone Design course, a one-year project-based course of about 125 students.
Freiheit's research focuses on analytical models of manufacturing systems and manufacturing system design; models and frameworks for reliability and quality prediction; and biomedical design and micro-mechanical machining. He has explored new ways to organize production resources, predict their efficiency and design manufacturing systems, including estimating the performance of reconfigurable manufacturing systems and applying analysis tools toward optimal design layouts. He has devised novel methodologies to predict modular machine tool reliability and the impact on productivity and product quality. In the area of biomedical design he is investigating micro-mechanical machining, which enables economical manufacturing for 'lab-on-a-chip' diagnostic electronics.
Freiheit says that working with Professor S. Jack Hu in the Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems at U-M had the greatest influence on his career choices and success. "I enjoyed working with people associated with the Center from all levels, from faculty to staff to visiting scholars to fellow students. I am also finding that U-M’s approach to education, curriculum and administration philosophy all influences how I see my role here at University of Calgary. My 10 years of experience in industry play a significant role too."
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Brian Jensen |
Brian Jensen
Assistant Professor
Brigham Young University
Brian D. Jensen has joined the faculty of Brigham Young University, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering. He assumed the position of assistant professor in January 2005.
"I was attracted by the department's and university's commitment to high-quality undergraduate education while performing and publishing high-quality research," he said. "I love teaching and research, so this emphasis on both is satisfying to me." Jensen will teach courses in mechanical design, optimization, computer-aided engineering and dynamic system modeling.
He will also test and expand some of the ideas he developed while at U-M working with his advisor, Assistant Professor Katsuo Kurabayashi, on the design and development of micro-electro-mechanical systems, particularly micro-switches. The focus of his work has been on finding ways to improve the reliability of micro-switches and to understand the physics and chemistry of micro-switch contacts. At Brigham Young, he has already started new programs focused on developing low-friction-factor microchannels for fluid flow and high-resolution micro-force sensors.
Jensen credits his time at U-M, where he earned a second MS in electrical engineering and a PhD in ME, for having had such a "strong effect on the direction and quality of my work" and for the sense of confidence he gained in investigating new research problems and areas.
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Sangwon Lee |
Sangwon Lee
Research Assistant Professor
Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea
Sangwon Lee earned his PhD in ME from the University of Michigan in 2004 and a bachelor's and master’s degree in mechanical design and production engineering from Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. Currently he is a research assistant professor of CREDITS (CREative Design and Intelligent Tutoring Systems) Research Center of Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, South Korea. He will assume an appointment as an assistant professor in the school of mechanical engineering beginning in March 2006. Lee will teach courses such as Creative Engineering Design, Design for Manufacturing, Manufacturing Process and Systems, and Mechanical Vibration.
“I have dreamed of life as a teacher and researcher ever since I graduated from high school,” said Lee. “This is a perfect job to realize my long-cherished dream. As a teacher and researcher in engineering, I enjoy digging up new and challenging research areas, which can be used to improve the quality of human life. In addition, Sungkyunkwan University is one of the top five universities in South Korea and rapidly growing.”
Lee’s research focus has been micro manufacturing, specifically the design and development of a meso-scale machine tool system and novel geometric error measurement system using lasers. During a post-doctoral research fellowship at U-M, he studied the feasibility of a new dry electrical-discharge machining (EDM) technology for the manufacture of micro-scale components.
Working in the S. M. Wu Manufacturing Research Center at U-M, and with Jun Ni, center director and professor, gave Lee “lots of valuable knowledge and experience. “He helped me mature as a researcher and teacher. As a matter of fact, life at U-M prepared me for successfully starting my new career in academia.”
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Kerr-Jia Lu |
Kerr-Jia Lu
Assistant Professor
George Washington University
Kerr-Jia Lu (PhD ME '04, MS ME '99) has joined the faculty of George Washington University in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Her appointment as an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering began in fall 2004.
Lu teaches introductory courses in mechanical engineering as well as several design courses. She says she accepted the position with George Washington University because of the size of its engineering program, which allows for close interaction between students and faculty. And its location "provides great opportunities for collaboration with many nearby federal research labs. I'm looking forward to inspiring my students and to developing exciting research here."
She will continue her research in the area of nature- and bio-inspired designs, smart structures and compliant mechanism synthesis, which she began while a graduate student at U-M and research assistant to Professor Sridhar Kota. In the Compliant Systems Design Laboratory, Lu developed and implemented a systematic approach for morphing compliant mechanisms involving discrete/continuous optimization, finite element analysis and basic pattern recognition methods. She also developed a novel parameterization scheme using load paths to represent various structural topologies and ensure structural connectivity.
Teaching isn't new to Lu, who served as a graduate student instructor for three ME courses while at U-M: Design and Manufacturing III (ME 450); Mechanism Design (ME 551); and Design for Manufacturability (ME 452). "I learned a lot from those experiences and found helping the students learn very fulfilling. That's part of the reason why I decided to pursue a career in academia."
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Valerie Maier-Speredolozi |
Valerie Maier-Speredolozi
Assistant Professor
University of Rhode Island
Valerie Maier-Speredelozzi, who earned her PhD in ME in 2003, has joined the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering faculty at the University of Rhode Island as an assistant professor. She teaches a senior class in Inventory and Production Control and already has introduced a new graduate course in Lean Manufacturing Systems.
Maier-Speredelozzi's undergraduate research was in the area of mechanical engineering design. As a graduate student, she focused on manufacturing and took courses in the Industrial and Operations Engineering department and the Business School. "I was grateful that Professors Hu and Koren helped me form my own research and coursework plan," she said.
Today Maier-Speredelozzi's research interests lie in the areas of manufacturing system design and performance analysis as well as lean manufacturing and manufacturing management. "I like to look at how the principles and best practices from manufacturing environments can be applied to other areas, such as healthcare, service industries, retail distribution, etc." A recent project had her analyzing and improving receiving dock procedures for a retail warehouse system, because reducing load and unload times places less pressure on commercial drivers and ultimately improves highway safety.
When she began her graduate studies at U-M, Maier-Speredelozzi thought she would earn a PhD so she could teach at night while working as an engineer. "But as I left my advisor's (Professor Hu's) office after each research meeting, he would say things like, 'You would make a good professor, you know.' Eventually I listened and realized that becoming a professor would allow me to combine my interests in research, teaching, working with industry and helping others. I looked for a medium-sized institution in New England, close to extended family, and I was lucky to find a perfect match here in the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering department at the University of Rhode Island."
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Alan McGaughey |
Alan McGaughey
Assistant Professor
Carnegie Mellon University
Alan McGaughey (PhD '04) began an appointment as an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at Carnegie Mellon University in August 2005.
His research interests are the atomic-level modeling the transport of heat, mass and momentum in solid and fluid phases. The ME department at CMU is strong, he says, with increasing emphasis on diverse and non-traditional areas of research. "I feel its collaborative and multidisciplinary nature suit me very well."
His work in this area began while a master's candidate at the University of Toronto working with Professor Charles Ward and while earning his PhD at U-M with thesis advisor Professor Massoud Kaviany. "My advisors gave me a significant amount of freedom to explore, which helped me to develop the ability to do research independently, while still benefiting from the expertise of a mentor." His Ph.D. dissertation, "Phonon transport in molecular dynamics simulations: Formulation and thermal conductivity prediction," was awarded the Distinguished Dissertation Award from Rackham for 2004.
Between earning his PhD and beginning his appointment at CMU, McGaughey conducted post-doctoral work at the University of Florida, Gainesville, in the Materials Science and Engineering department. With researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, he worked on the development of molecular dynamic simulations that will allow for the modeling of different materials--metals, oxides, covalent structures--at the same time. The availability of such techniques is limited, and "I saw this as both an excellent opportunity to learn something new and also as a way to gain a collaborator in Pittsburgh before even moving there."
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Jeremy "J." Michalek |
Jeremy "J." Michalek
Assistant Professor
Carnegie Mellon University
Jeremy "J." Michalek (MS ME '01; PhD ME '05), assumed a faculty appointment at Carnegie Mellon University as an assistant professor in fall 2005.
Michalek completed post-doctoral work in the Optimal Design Laboratory in U-M's ME department, where he coordinated models of stakeholder preferences with models used in engineering design decision-making. He served as education chair for BLUElab, formerly Engineers Without Borders.
Michalek says it was his advisor, Professor Panos Papalambros, who "encouraged me to push disciplinary boundaries" and who encouraged working with experts in other fields. Michalek's cross-disciplinary interest in design optimization and social, economic and policy perspectives on design led to his decision to join the Carnegie Mellon faculty. "It's a wonderful fit for my interests. CMU has a strong respect for design research, a tradition of interdisciplinary research and teaching and research centers for complex engineered systems, computational design, the environment and engineering and public policy."
Plenty of teaching experience in the ME department also influenced his decision to join CMU. Michalek co-developed a new interdisciplinary course, Engineering for Community (ENGR 490), which earned an MLK Spirit Award in 2004, and Analytical Product Design (ME 499/599), which grew in part out of techniques developed in his dissertation. He has served as course aid, graduate student instructor and GSI mentor. "I hope that through teaching I can encourage my students to continuously consider the impact of their decisions within the context of the society around them."
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Tiffany A. Miller |
Tiffany A. Miller
Assistant Professor
Drexel University
Tiffany A. Miller has been appointed an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics at Drexel University. She earned her bachelor's, masters and doctoral degrees in Mechanical Engineering from U-M.
Miller will teach MEM 320: Fluid Dynamics I during the fall and spring terms and co-teach TDEC 202: Energy II, which covers the application of conservation-of-energy principles to the analysis of engineering problems, in the winter term. Her research program will expand on work begun at U-M with her advisor, Associate Professor Margaret Wooldridge, on the development of nanocomposite powders using techniques such as combustion synthesis and the examination of scaling possibilities for such systems.
"I also have a strong interest in developing materials such as biosensors and sensor arrays, catalysis development and pollution mitigation, and energy storage and conversion," she said. "To name a few, materials for toxic gas sensors, solar cells, and hydrogen storage, transport and delivery systems, all can be advanced–and revolutionized–by the application of nanoscience.
"Drexel is a smaller institution than Michigan, with both strong undergraduate, graduate and research programs. The college and university are both experiencing a period of growth and development, which I know will allow for many unique research and teaching opportunities in my areas of interest."
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Katherine S. Peterson |
Katherine S. Peterson
Assistant Professor
Purdue University
Katherine S. Peterson joined the faculty of Purdue University in June 2005 as an assistant professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering. She is teaching ME575: Control Theory and Design, a first-year graduate course.
An interdisciplinary approach to research and plans for several new research facilities are what drew Peterson to the job, she said. "My time at U-M taught me the importance of collaboration. During my PhD work I had the good fortune to work closely with several faculty members in addition to my advisor, Associate Professor Anna Stefanopoulou. Even though I have just started here at Purdue, other faculty and I have already begun talking about possible collaborations."
The focus of Peterson's research at U-M was on developing controllers for valve timing. Her work resulted in one patent and several citations in the academic and popular presses. After earning her PhD, she spent time in Australia, where she worked on control of active magnetic bearings and flexible structures, and she worked with researchers in Sweden on extremum seeking control. Currently she is looking at the control of medical devices, specifically how to control a self-propelled endoscope.
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Ardalan Vahidi |
Ardalan Vahidi
Assistant Professor
Clemson University
Ardalan Vahidi accepted an appointment as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Clemson University, where he will teach control and automotive courses and continue his research on automotive and energy systems. He earned his PhD in ME in 2005.
One of Vahidi's research interests is in the application of modern control techniques to resource management of energy-generating and storage devices. In automotive and transportation systems, his focus has been on active safety and driver-assist system design, and he continues to work in this area on devices and methodologies that enable deployment of active safety systems.
Vahidi says it was his experiences at U-M that led him to Clemson. "Working with an excellent body of students and faculty, including my advisors Professors Anna Stefanopoulou and Huei Peng, broadened my vision about research. Excellent classes, and being a graduate student instructor, gave me a good start in teaching here at Clemson. The interactions with researchers from other universities was also a fantastic opportunity."
He expects that new opportunities await, including those resulting from an international automotive research center that Clemson is establishing in close collaboration with BMW, Michelin, Timken and other automotive companies. "This has created a lot of interest in the university and nationwide," he said. "When I interviewed here I really liked the momentum."
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Dung-An Wang |
Dung-An Wang
Assistant Professor
National Chung Hsing University Taiwan
Dung-An Wang has joined the faculty of National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan, as an assistant professor in the Institute of Precision Engineering. He will be teaching courses in the precision manufacturing, the design of MEMS and the Engineernig sciences in MEMS.
Wang earned his PhD in ME from U-M in 2004. He worked as a teaching and research assistant in the ME department while pursuing his degree and held the position of project engineer of advanced engineering analysis at National Steel near Detroit.
Wang says he chose National Chung Hsing University for its top-notch experimental facilities and motivated student body. He has already established research projects in the areas of bulk assembly and disassembly of micro-scale components, where he is developing a new method for on-substrate fine positioning of microscale and mesoscale discrete components; failure mechanisms of friction stir spot welding; and the constitutive modeling of foams.
From his time at U-M, Wang says he gained insightful research experience working with his advisor, Professor Jwo Pan, and an invaluable "dedication to work."
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Robert White |
Robert White
Assistant Professor
Tufts University
Robert White, who earned his PhD in ME in 2005, recently joined the mechanical engineering faculty of Tufts University. He will teach graduate and undergraduate courses on dynamics, vibration, acoustics and MEMS. His research interests include the design, modeling and fabrication of micro- and nanosystems, and he has already started projects in the areas of MEMS acoustics sensing, thin film material characterization and chaos in MEMS.
White chose a career in academic teaching and research because of the chance to interact with students, stay current in his field and "be part of the advancement of engineering science in areas I find interesting and important." He says he chose Tufts specifically because of its commitment to "cutting-edge research in a variety of disciplines and its involvement of both undergraduates and graduates in research. Tufts is committed to effective and relevant teaching and really cares about its students."
White is excited to move forward in his areas of expertise, honed through work with his advisor at U-M, Associate Professor Karl Grosh. "Earning my PhD at U-M was critical in developing skills in microfabrication, acoustic and multiphysics numerical modeling and acoustics/vibration testing. I also gained an interest in cochlear mechanics and RF MEMS systems and had the opportunity to participate in many academic conferences and seminars that helped me develop public speaking and technical writing skills."