Research

The group concentrates on providing a specific focus to our graduate course offerings, as well as identifying thematic areas for research collaboration and funding proposals. These activities are clearly complementary, as working on curriculum refinement naturally suggests research opportunities and vice versa. Expertise areas within the group include design, cardiovascular mechanics, soft tissue mechanics, mathematical modeling and research associated with several clinically-based challenges. Please see each faculty member's web page for more details on their research areas.

The group is also aware that other areas where hiring could occur to expand the expertise of this group. These include {(a) tissue printing, (b) microcirculation, (c) gel-tissue engineering, (c) permeability, (e) elastographic imaging, (f) experimental mechanotransduction, (g) tissue characterization, and (h) environmental response interaction}. We continue to hire new ME faculty each year, please watch for our hiring announcements.

Course projections for the next four years.

Group Members and Affiliates:

• Seungik Baek (sbaek@msu.edu)
• Tamara Reid Bush (reidtama@msu.edu)
• Tong Gao (70% ME) (gaotong@msu.edu)
• Michele Grimm (mgrimm@msu.edu)
• Michael Lavignino (lavignin@msu.edu)
• Lik Chuan Lee (lclee@msu.edu)
• Thomas Pence (pence@msu.edu)
• Rajiv Ranganathan (20% ME) (rrangana@msu.edu)
• Sara Roccabianca (roccabis@msu.edu)
• Neil Wright (ntwright@msu.edu)
• Junlin Yuan (junlin@msu.edu)

The Dynamic Systems and Controls group engages in advanced research and complimentary graduate education programs in two areas: dynamics and controls, with significant overlap between the areas. The research in dynamic systems is very broad and covers topics such as vibration of turbine blades, modal decomposition with application to linear modal analysis, wave behavior, animal locomotion, pendulum vibration absorbers, energy harvesting, dynamics with friction, automotive and aerospace noise, vibration, and harshness, and system identification. The research in controls covers problems in mechatronics and robotics, impulsive dynamical systems, biped locomotion, interfaces for robotic systems, underwater robotic systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). There is also a focus on automotive powertrain control, which includes hybrid powertrain optimization, engine combustion control and optimization, and turbocharger control integrated with the emerging area of vehicle connectivity. The Dynamic Systems and Controls group offers a rigorous graduate curriculum in theory of vibrations, nonlinear vibrations, nonlinear dynamics and chaos, linear control systems, nonlinear control, optimal control, and robust control.

Course Projections for the next four years

Members of the Group and Affiliates

• Sunil Chakrapani (csk@msu.edu)
• Brian Feeny (feeny@msu.edu)
• Firas Khasawneh (khasawn3@msu.edu)
• Zhaojian Li (lizhaoj1@msu.edu)
• Hamidreza Modares (modaresh@msu.edu)
• Ranjan Mukherjee (muhherji@msu.edu)
• Geoff Recktenwald (gdr@egr.msu.edu)
• Dan Segalman (segalman@msu.edu)
• Wei-Che Tai (taiweich@msu.edu)
• George Zhu (zhug@msu.edu)

The Fluid-Thermal Science and Engineering group in the Mechanical Engineering department seeks to establish world class research and complementary graduate educational programs in traditional and emerging areas of fluid and thermal sciences. While the research coverage is broad, the core curriculum focuses on the fundamentals of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics and the application of basic engineering science to applied engineering and multidisciplinary problems. These include internal combustion engines, automotive and aerospace systems, air vehicles, power and propulsion systems, renewable energy systems and sustainability, materials processing, sensors, biomedical devices, and biological systems. In addition to graduate education through leading edge research, the graduate fluid-thermal curriculum is designed to educate the next generation of engineers and researchers to be innovative and resourceful based on a solid foundation in the fundamentals of fluid and thermal sciences and engineering.

Course projections for the next four years.

Group Members and Affiliates:

• Patton Allison (alliso63@msu.edu)
• Rebecca Anthony (anthon92@msu.edu)
• Seungik Baek (Affiliate) (sbaek@msu.edu)
• Andre Benard (benard@msu.edu)
• Giles Brereton (brereton@msu.edu)
• Abraham Engeda (engeda@msu.edu)
• Tong (Tony) Gao (gaotong@msu.edu)
• Farhad Jaberi (Jaberi@msu.edu)
• James F. Klausner (jfk@msu.edu)
• Manoochehr Koochesfahani (koochesf@msu.edu)
• Norbert Mueller (mueller@msu.edu)
• Ahmed Naguib (naguib@msu.edu)
• Harold Schock (schock@msu.edu)
• Elisa Toulson (toulson@msu.edu)
• Indrek Wichman (wichman@msu.edu)
• Neil Wright (ntwright@msu.edu)
• Junlin Yuan (junlin@msu.edu)
• Mohsen Zayernouri (zayern@msu.edu)

The Solid Mechanics, Design and Manufacturing (SDM) group offers a wide range of research opportunities ranging from fundamental to applied projects. The SDM faculty engage in transformative research associated with analytical and computational modeling of materials, biomechanics, design and fabrication of biosensors as well as micro and nano-sensors. Ongoing research efforts also include the development of innovative high efficiency energy systems, experimental and numerical studies of composites and other advanced materials, design optimization, gas-phase processing, machining, powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing. The general research approach is to gain an understanding of the underlying physics behind a problem with the concurrent development of succinct mathematical and physical descriptions that enable design and optimization of materials, components, and manufacturing processes. SDM graduate students acquire a strong fundamental education in mechanics and other engineering science disciplines and are well prepared to tackle the most challenging contemporary research problems.

Course projections for the next four years.

Members of the Group and Affiliate

• Rebecca Anthony (affiliate) (anthon92@msu.edu)
• Seungik Baek (affiliate) (sbaek@msu.edu)
• Tamara Reid Bush (affiliate) (reidtama@msu.edu)
• Gary Cloud (cloud@msu.edu)
• Patrick Kwon (pkwon@msu.edu)
• Lik Chuan Lee (affiliate) (lcee@msu.edu)
• Norbert Mueller (affiliate) (mueller@msu.edu)
• Siva Nadimpalli (sivan@msu.edu)
• Thomas Pence (affiliate) (pence@msu.edu)
• William Resh (reshwill@msu.edu)
• Sara Roccabianca (affiliate) (roccabis@msu.edu)
• Daniel Segalman (segalman@msu.edu)
• K.Stevenson (kstevens@msu.edu)
• Xinran Xiao (xinran@msu.edu)
• Mohsen Zayernouri  (zayern@msu.edu)