Faculty & Staff

Professor Hyers works at the interface between computers and the physical world. His most recent applications are in high-temperature materials and high-temperature materials processing systems. His recent projects include model-based experiments on the Space Station including magnetohydrodynamic effects on nucleation and solidification, novel methods for measurement of properties of matter at high temperature, scale-up of a novel metallurgical process by 1000X, and a novel approach to thermal management in spacecraft propulsion.He has extensive experience with startup companies, ...

Professor Wodin-Schwartz joined WPI in August 2015. Her Ph.D. research focused on the use of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for down hole geothermal well monitoring. Before joining WPI, she spent two years at the technical consulting firm Exponent Inc., where she conducted failure analyses and design evaluations for projects ranging from consumer products to power systems. As a consultant she worked with over 75 different clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.She is passionate about teaching core engineering and critical thinking skills that apply to application-driven ...

Dr. M. A. Bhatia is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Mechanical & Materials Engineering Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Prior to coming to WPI, Dr. Bhatia was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Arizona State University where he was working on thermal and mechanical stability of nanocrystalline Cu-Ta material which was published in nature journal. He received his Ph.D. from Arizona State University in December 2014. His research interest is understanding the effect of defects on structure-property relationships in advanced materials such as magnesium and titanium alloys related ...

 Working with scholars and students, especially undergraduates, on research and design projects is what I like best about my three and a half decades at WPI. My degrees are from the University of Vermont. There I was most fortunate to be coached by Mickey Cochran and advised by Branimir von Turkovich for my MS on fracture testing and PhD on metal cutting. Before coming to WPI in 1989 I worked on mechanical metallurgy, surface metrology, and ski equipment at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), and I worked on product and process development at Atlas Copco’s ...

Professor Christiansen works with microstructure optimization and surface engineering of metallic materials for improving materials properties and performance. He is the director of the Center for Heat Treating Excellence (CHTE), which is a member-driven industrial center anchored at Worcester Polytechnic Institute that conducts research and development for primarily the thermal processing industry. The center focuses on heat treating and thermochemical surface engineering of metallic components – technological disciplines that are important for our modern society. Prof. Christiansen joined ...

 After graduating from UNH with a chemical engineering degree in 2005, Danielle Cote worked as a researcher at Saint-Gobain in the Northboro Research and Development Center in polymer science and data automation.  Cote continued working while she pursued a master’s degree at WPI, followed by a PhD fellowship, and joined the WPI faculty in 2016. Today Professor Cote’s research focuses on the development of materials for high deposition rate metal additive manufacturing techniques, such as cold spray and wire arc additive manufacturing.  Professor Cote has been awarded more than $25 ...

I joined WPI in Fall 2021, bringing with me a passion for both research and teaching. My research expertise lies in experimental and analytical fluid mechanics, with a strong focus on turbulent transport in non-equilibrium and high Reynolds number boundary layer flows. Within this realm, I specialize in experimental measurements and reduced-order modeling. My contributions to the field are further extended by serving as an invited reviewer for several scientific journals in my areas of expertise.My teaching philosophy is centered on making STEM education more accessible, less stressful, and ...

 Prof. Aswin Gnanaskandan joined the WPI faculty in August 2020 as an assistant professor. His research experience prior to WPI includes a Postdoctoral Researcher position at California Institute of Technology, USA, a Research Scientist position at Dynaflow Inc, USA, and a Scientist position at the Defense Research and Development Laboratory, India. His area of research is Computational Fluid Dynamics where he specializes in developing high-fidelity models for multiphase flows. At WPI, he directs the Computational Multiphase Transport Laboratory, where he and his students are involved in ...

Dr. Selcuk Guceri is a distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at WPI, where he also served as the inaugural Bernard M. Gordon Dean of Engineering from 2011-2013. Dr. Guceri earned his undergraduate degree from ODTÜ/METU in Turkey and his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. He began his academic career at the University of Delaware, establishing major research programs in composite materials and energy. In 1993, he moved to the University of Illinois at Chicago to serve as the Department Head of Mechanical Engineering, further expanding his expertise in manufacturing ...

It has been a great pleasure to teach at WPI, a school with motivated students from all over the world. I am teaching engineering mechanics related course such as ES2501 (Statics), ES2502 (Stress Analysis), ES2503 (Dynamics), ES3011 (Control Engineering), ME4506 (Vibrations), ME4512 (Finite Elements) at the undergraduate level and ME522 and ME593V (Mechanical Vibrations), ME593M (Numerical Methods for Engineers), ME527 (Advanced Dynamics), and ME531 (Elasticity Theory) at the graduate level. I share the happiness when the students can apply the learned knowledge in their projects and research. ...

 As a Professor of Teaching at WPI, I share my enthusiasm for materials science, thermal fluids, renewable energy and biomaterials, both in my classes and as a capstone design project advisor. Education is my way of sharing my passion for Science and Engineering. I believe that these are great professions because they give us the ability to effect real and positive change in this world. I particularly enjoy the varied and interesting contributions my students make in class, and the collaborative environment of WPI as a whole.My current research is centered on the scholarship of teaching ...

Professor Liang’s research explores the physics of interfaces between the nanometer and micron scales.  Her team responds to the challenging interdisciplinary nature of their research endeavor through successful collaboration with colleagues with expertise in metrology, physics, bioscience, medical science, chemistry, and fire protection engineering.  Her educational effort includes novel approaches to project-based learning and global centers for science and engineering.  She has created three new courses with technical focuses on nanomaterials (ME4875/MTE575/MTE594), nanobiotechnology ...

The overarching theme of my research is light-matter interactions and their applications in microscale and nanoscale. Particularly, my research interests include optical trapping, optofluidics, nanophotonics, cavity optomechanics, and fiber optic sensing systems, with an emphasis on optical actuation, damping, and sensing of mechanics in micro-/nano-scale structures and biological specimens. The potential applications of my research include on-chip disease diagnosis, in vivo disease treatments, motion detection in consumer electronics, health monitoring, and biomechanics. My research has been ...

Makhlouf M. Makhlouf is professor of Mechanical & Materials Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). He was Director of the Advanced Casting Research Center (ACRC) between 1992 and 2015. ACRC is a collaboration between the academic and industrial sectors focusing on issues that benefit the global foundry industry. It brings fundamental understanding to existing processes, develops new methods, and addresses management-technology interface matters. Under Makhlouf’s leadership, the ACRC evolved to be the leading foundry-related industry-university research consortium in the ...

Dr. Zhu Mao joined WPI as an Associate Professor in the Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department in 2021, and before that, he was on the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell from 2015. His research interests include dynamics and vibration, intelligent systems, noncontact sensing and computer vision, signal processing and machine learning, uncertainty quantification, and condition-based monitoring for a variety of applications. He has published over 120 papers on journals and conference proceedings, and was the Chair of Technical Division on Model ...

 Brajendra Mishra’s research focuses on sustainable stewardship of earth’s resources by developing technologies to advance commercially viable metals/materials processing. He is involved in the design and development of industry-oriented methods for energy and materials sustainability, which is one of the greatest challenges in the 21st Century.At WPI, Professor Brajendra Mishra is the Kenneth G. Merriam Distinguished Professor of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, and the Director of the Metal Processing Institute at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  Prof. Mishra is also the ...

My research interests include multiphase flow, droplet dynamics, clean hydrogen energy systems, and decarbonization. I am an experimentalist in thermo-fluid sciences and engage in both fundamental and applied research. As the director of the Multiscale Thermal Fluids Laboratory (MTFL) at WPI, I lead a team that focuses on addressing thermo-fluidic challenges across a variety of applications. As an educator, my role extends beyond disseminating knowledge. I work to enhance critical thinking and creativity in students by empowering them with the skills they need to become successful engineers, ...

Lee Moradi, PhD, PEWPI School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering (MME) Lee Moradi joined WPI in February 2022 as a Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering (MME).  He is also the Co-Director of the Autonomous Vehicle Mobility Institute (AVMI).  Prior to WPI, Lee had 18 years of experience with industry and 25 years as a faculty and director at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).  Lee held several leadership positions at UAB including:1.     Director of Engineering & Innovative Technology ...

Adam C. Powell, IV is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical & Materials Engineering department who joined the WPI faculty in August 2018. His field is materials processing, and research focuses on greenhouse gas emissions reduction, elimination, and drawdown. Current projects aim to reduce vehicle body weight, lower solar cell manufacturing energy use and cost with improved safety, reduce or eliminate aviation greenhouse gas impact, power ships and trains with zero emissions, and improve grid stability as we drive toward 100% renewables. The primary tools for achieving these goals ...

Teaching gives me an opportunity to interact with students and to continually learn and impart new concepts at the same time. I teach Modeling and Analysis of Mechatronic Systems (ME/RBE 4322) and Advanced Engineering Design (ME 4320) during the regular academic year. During summer, I teach Intro to Dynamic Systems (ES 2503) and Kinematics of Mechanisms (ME 3310). My research is centered around developing automated design tools and hardware related to mechatronic systems. During my Ph.D. on the Automated Design of Planar Mechanisms, I addressed with a good measure of success fundamental ...

My research is aimed at discovering, understanding and developing advanced materials for a range of applications including solar energy conversion, catalysis, printed electronics, sensors, and functional coatings. Our lab specializes in the synthesis of nanostructured thin film materials using scalable processes. Students and researchers in my lab can expect to work on highly interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of materials science, mechanical engineering, solid state physics, and thermal sciences.

Dr. Sabuncu holds a Ph. D. in Aerospace Engineering from Old Dominion University. Dr. Sabuncu’s professional interests is thermo-fluids engineering including microfluidic applications. He is also interested in dielectric spectroscopy of cells and tissues since 2009. His research in engineering education focuses on development of online laboratory exercises and use of Internet of Things & artificial intelligence in engineering education. He is passionate about humanitarian projects that could solve the contemporary problems of the changing world. His research on teaching also ...

The project mode of education is a significant tenet of WPI; project based courses are common, along with the required Interactive Qualifying Project and Major Qualifying Project. Managing this close knit intellectual activity has m any parallels to coaching sports; watching individuals " light up" is tremendously rewarding. The recent addition of the Great Problems Seminar allows strong interaction with the freshman class as well. The thermofluid area is critical to world sustainability and extends beyond technical expertise to socio- political and economic context.

I have spent 36 years in product development. 25 years in the computer storage industry working on airborne hard drives, desktop hard drives, tape storage systems, optical storage devices, and robotic pick and place systems for tape cartridges. Most recently I have spent the last 11 years at Bose Corporation working in advanced development on high efficiency small speaker systems. I find product development very exciting as it forces an engineer to interact with a wide range of other engineers in a fast paced environment, to deliver a hardware design that works and meets the expectations of ...

Teaching is the most important aspect of my profession. I have strived to teach the full spectrum of college offerings addressing freshman students through Ph.D. students. The project philosophy is a fundamental pillar of the WPI education. I encourage and promote this ideal in all of the projects that I advise. Students who bring a project to fruition gain more knowledge and understanding than most conventional instructional modes. I am committed to MQP and IQP activities. Students completing their projects under my advise have received dozens of awards and honors in the forms of ...

Vladimir Vantsevich is a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. He serves as co-Director and Principal Investigator of the Autonomous Vehicle Mobility Institute (AVMI). Prior to WPI, he worked as a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in Michigan. Before LTU, Dr. Vantsevich was a professor of Belarusian National Technical University and the Head of Research and Design Group on Multi-Wheel Drive Vehicles that designed and developed mechatronic and mechanical driveline systems for various purpose vehicles ...

Grace Wang, PhD, began as WPI’s 17th president on April 3, 2023.  She is also a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at WPI.  Elected by the WPI Board of Trustees after an extensive national search, Wang comes to WPI from The Ohio State University (OSU) where she served as executive vice president for research, innovation, and knowledge, and as a professor in Materials Science and Engineering. At OSU, Wang’s efforts helped expand the university’s research and innovation ecosystem, achieving $1.38 billion in annual R&D expenditures during her tenure. ...

I am William Smith Foundation Dean's Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Since joining WPI, I have been very active in research. Currently, my lab focuses on the study of new electrodes and materials for energy storage, including lithium ion batteries, supercapacitors, flow batteries, battery manufacturing, battery safety and recycle, and fundamental electrochemistry. This research can lead to energy storage with high energy density, high power density, long life, low cost, and high safety. In addition to fundamental research, I have commercialized the ...

 I enjoy teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Teaching is very rewarding, and it allows me to interact with the students. My teaching portfolio includes undergraduate and graduate level courses in the areas of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, liquid/vapor phase change, thermodynamics, and design of thermal systems.I am very active in research. My research has been actively supported by NSF, NASA, AFOSR, SBA, ASHRAE and various companies. My research laboratory is entitled, "Enhancement of Heat Transfer and Phase-Change in Large and Small Scales." My theoretical, numerical, ...

Jiawei Yang is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at WPI. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Sciences from Harvard University in 2019 and was a research fellow at Boston Children's Hospital and MIT from 2019-2023. He joined WPI in 2024. The Yang lab is a highly interdisciplinary research group with expertise in materials, mechanics, and biotechnology. The Yang lab currently focuses on the development of bio-interfacing materials and systems by material design and engineering across multiple length scales. Through ...

My research focuses on medical and manufacturing innovation. I apply manufacturing science and technology to enhance healthcare. I contribute fundamental knowledge of tissue mechanics and imaging properties, provide novel computational modeling methodologies to simulate and understand manufacturing and surgical processes, and develop medical devices and clinical manufacturing systems to tackle unmet clinical needs. “Intuition makes an engineer outstanding. Passion is the foundation for instruction.” These two statements, which define my expectations for my students and for myself, ...

We are currently hiring!!Dr. Yu Zhong is currently a Professor in Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department. He received his Ph.D. from Penn State (2005). After a short-term working as Research Associate, he joined Saint-Gobain High Performance Research Center in Northborough, MA. He had spent his 8-year career there working as an internal technical consultant focusing on the application of thermodynamics and kinetics to various materials R&D projects. In 2013, He moved to Florida International University (FIU) as Assistant Professor. He received the James Nichols Heald Research ...

Joel Harris, PE, joined the Manufacturing Laboratory after a 32 year career at Raytheon Technologies (formerly Raytheon Co) plus 3 years at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft.  Joel's area of expertise is mechanical and mechatronic engineering of aerospace and marine products.  Joel worked on design, analysis, manufacture, test of components and systems, plus support to fielded products.  For his last 12 years at Raytheon, Joel was the engineering lead for the manufacture of the PATRIOT GEM-T missile control section.   Joel received a BSME from MIT and a MEME from ...