The Department of Mechanical Engineering conducts and participates in a variety of research activities. Below you will find a list of faculty members and research topics. Follow the links to the faculty member's pages for more information.

Peter M. Bainum, Ph.D., P.E.
Structural/control optimization of large space structures; control of flexible expendable launch vehicles; formation flying of orbiting satellites.

Dah-Nien Fan, Ph.D.
LDV velocity bias, tensorial fluid mechanics, aerodynamics.

Emmanuel K. Glakpe, Ph.D., P.E.
Convective (Free, Forced and Mixed) Heat Transfer, Numerical Methods for Computational Fluid Dynamics, Renewable & Non-Renewable Energy Applications, Efficient Energy Utilization, Thermal State of Charge in Solar Heat Receivers.

Mohsen Mosleh, Ph.D.
Development of Polymeric Homocomposites, Wear of Total Knee and Hip Joint Replacements, Surface Engineering, Manufacturing Processes.

Robert Reiss, Ph.D.
Sensitivity Analysis- basic research and applications to mechanics of composite materials, structural optimization, and structural dynamics; Development of new variational principles; Biomechanics.

Sonya T. Smith, Ph.D.
Aerodynamics, Dynamics of Atmospheric Motion, Numerical and Analytical Methods for Turbulent Flow.

Lewis Thigpen, Ph.D., P.E.
Impact dynamics and penetration mechanics, micro-mechanical modeling of the constitutive behavior of materials.

Naren Vira, Ph.D.
Robotics and automated manufacturing; CAD/CAM; mechtonics, computer applications and software design; software fault tolerant analysis; precision measurements, modeling and simulation.

M. Lucius Walker, Jr., Ph.D., P.E.
Fluid mechanics ; systems analysis , design, and control; the appropriate application of modern information resources and tools to education.

Horace A. Whitworth, Ph.D.
Composite Materials, Fatigue and Failure Analysis.