Part of our 2022-2023 plan includes the formation of the ME Faculty Connections Program. Through this program, students have the ability to expand their network by meeting and connecting with professors to discuss an array of topics.
Faculty: If you would like to be added to this list, please fill out this form! If meeting over lunch, please pay for both your and the student’s lunches (maximum $15/person) and have your administrative assistant submit receipts to Angela Hicks for reimbursement. To be removed from the list, please fill out this form.
Students: Look through the table below to find the faculty members participating in the program. Fill out the form linked below to notify the faculty member that you’re interested in connecting, and then figure out a time to meet! You’re also encouraged to invite faculty members who are not officially a part of the program as well.
| Faculty | Area(s) of Work | Key/Desired Discussion Topic | Open to Lunch? |
| Bert Bras | Sustainable systems, design, manufacturing, school administration | Sustainable systems, design, manufacturing, school administration, and whatever they are interested in | Yes |
| Brandon Dixon | Bioengineering, fluid mechanics | Work-life balance, purpose, science, academia, college football, food and cooking, travel, research | Yes |
| Andrei Fedorov | Nanomanufacturing, bioengineering (instrument development), energy systems, thermal management | Open to any topics, controversial and non-controversial, technical or personal | Yes |
| Srinivas Garimella | Heat Transfer and Energy Systems | Career Planning | Yes |
| Peter Hesketh | MEMS, microsensors and microfluidic devices | Careers in academia | Yes |
| David Hu | Fluid mechanics, biomechanics, biomimetics | Talking to the press about your work, book writing, science communication | Yes |
| Amit Jariwala | Engineering design, experiential learning, polymer additive manufacturing, IoT, AI/ML | Industry and National Lab projects to augment curricular and extra curricular efforts | Yes |
| Roger Jiao | Design, manufacturing systems, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning | Research clinic; How to write good papers; Insight of journal publication, review and editor’s views; Sharing life of graduate school training. | Yes |
| Kyriaki Kalaitzidou | Manufacturing, polymers, composites, mechanical testing | Professional development, surviving and thriving in grad school, how to resolve conflicts, self reflection and soft skills | Yes |
| Dan Kotlyar | Computational reactor physics; Reactor Engineering and Design | Graduate research opportunities, relevance to current nuclear energy missions, job opportunities in the field, professional development | Yes |
| David Ku | Cardiovascular Medicine | The Beginning of Infinity, Good Explanations, Reach | Yes |
| Tom Kurfess | Manufacturing, Technology and Policy | Career opportunities in industry, academe and government | Yes |
| Michael Leamy | Acoustics, dynamics, metamaterials, vibrations, electric vehicles | Student life, athletics, extracurricular interests | Yes |
| Julie Linsey | Design Theory and Methodology; Design Cognition | Academic Faculty Positions; Balancing a Faculty Position & Family | Maybe |
| Matt McDowell | Energy storage, mechanics of materials, batteries | Flexible | Yes |
| Akanksha Menon | Heat transfer, water-energy systems, desalination, thermal energy storage, functional materials | What to expect during your PhD, the academic career path, the national lab experience, lab culture and group well-being | Yes |
| Emily Sanders | Optimization-Based Design, Computational Mechanics, Additive Manufacturing | Anything of interest…PhD experience, applying for faculty positions, work-life balance, etc. | Yes |
| Todd Sulchek | Microfluidics, Mechanics, Bioengineering, MEMS | Career, entrepreneurship, research, personal goals and challenges | Yes |
| Mike Tinskey | Intrapreneurship, Electric Vehicles & The Grid | Careers, Intrapreneurship, “Big Bet Ideas”, Electrification, Finding Your Path, Automotive | Yes |
| David Torello | Teach: Dynamics, System Dynamics, Senior Systems Lab, Numerical Methods | Non-tenure and teaching track faculty careers, graduate student issues, mental health and work life balance, professional development | Yes |
| Levi Wood | Systems Biology | Career goals, navigating thesis building, etc. | Yes |
| Shannon Yee | Energy, Climate, Sustainability | Transformative technologies, climate technologies, energy entrepreneurship | Yes |
| Minami Yoda | Fluid mechanics, fusion energy | Networking, work-life balance, career development | Yes |