Faculty Advisors

Robert Handler
"Only in the present do things happen"
—Jorge Luis Borges
  • Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
  • Affiliated Assistant Professor, CEGE and Social Sciences
  • Faculty Advisor, Green Campus Enterprise

Courses

  • ENG 4515/5515 Introduction to Sustainability and Resilience
  • ENG 4525/5525 Systems Analysis for Sustainability and Resilience
  • CM 3980 Sustainable Chemical Engineering
  • Green Campus Enterprise

Research Interests

  • Life-cycle assessment
  • Sustainability and resilience
  • Food, Energy, and Water systems
  • Sustainable materials and manufacturing
  • Ecosystem services
  • Aquaponics and hydroponics
  • Research Professor, Chemical Engineering
  • Robbins Chair in Sustainable Use of Materials

Research Interests

  • Bioprocess engineering
  • Alternative energy/Biofuels
  • Sustainability
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, Henrietta Schmoll School of Health Sciences St. Catherine University
  • Affiliated Professor, Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology
  • Affiliated Associate Professor, Biological Sciences and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Research Interests

  • Adaptations to exercise training
  • Functional losses following injury
  • Skeletal muscle function
  • Cycling biomechanics
  • Physiology education
  • Assistant Professor, Lou and Herbert Wacker Professorship of Mechanical Engineering
  • Affiliated Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering
  • Multiplanetary INnovation Enterprise (MINE) Faculty Advisor

Teaching Interests

  • Engineering Design Process
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • System Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering Practice
  • Finite Element Analysis
  • Intro to Aerospace Engineering
  • Space System Engineering
  • Space Resource Utilization
  • Senior Design Capstone / Enterprise Project
  • Product Realization

Areas of Expertise

  • Solid Mechanics
  • Structural Design
  • Finite Element Analysis
  • Engineering Design Process
  • System Engineering
  • Interdisciplinary Engineering (Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Mining, Architecture)
  • Extreme Environment Design
  • Civil and Mining Engineering
  • Education
  • Optimization and Modeling

Research Interests

  • Extreme Environment Technologies (Space, Underwater, Mining, Arctic, etc.)
  • Excavation and Mining Technology
  • Planetary Science and Exploration
  • In-Situ Resource Utilization
  • Space Mining and Construction
  • Design Optimization
  • Robotics and Automation
  • System Engineering and Integration
  • Richard and Elizabeth Henes Endowed Professor (Space Systems), Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Director, Space Systems Research Group
  • Faculty Advisor, Aerospace Enterprise

Areas of Expertise

  • Space Propulsion
  • Plasma Physics
  • Optical Fluid Diagnostics

Research Interests

  • Design of in-situ electrostatic probes
  • Ion-energy analysis and time-of-flight mass spectrometry
  • Doppler laser cooling of trapped ions
  • Optical flow diagnostics
  • Antimatter confinement
  • Professor Emeritus, Chemical Engineering

Research Interests

  • Process simulation and improvement
  • Physical property prediction and measurement
  • Electrical energy storage
  • Professor of Practice, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Areas of Expertise

  • Autonomous Wheeled Vehicles
  • Machine Design
  • Mechanism
  • Hydraulics and Electro-Hydraulic Control
  • Welding and Fatigue
  • Bolted Joints Design
  • FEA in Structural, Thermal, and Fluid Dynamics

Research Interests

  • Drilling Technology
  • Hydraulics
  • Buckling
  • Welding & Fatigue 
  • Teaching Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Areas of Interest

  • Image processing
  • Undergraduate EE labs
  • Counter-terrorism
  • Electronic warfare
  • Information operations
  • Adjunct Instructor, Chemical Engineering
  • Advisor, Alternative Energy Enterprise

Specialties

  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Chair and Distinguished Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Clean Snowmobile Team Faculty Advisor

Areas of Expertise

  • Vibrations
  • Unique Instrumentation/Data Acquisition
  • Digital Signal Processing
  • Noise Control

Research Interests

  • Dynamic Measurement Problems
  • Developing new digital signal processing algorithms to understand NVH type problems
  • Ways to improve the NVH characteristics of virtually any machine
  • Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Faculty Advisor, Robotic Systems Enterprise

Links of Interest

Areas of Interest

  • Atmospheric optics
  • Statistical optics
  • Quantum optics
  • Image and Signal Processing
  • Autonomous vehicles and vehicular networks
  • Industrial automation and controls
  • Teaching Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Faculty Advisor, Wireless Communication Enterprise

Areas of Interest

  • Parallel computing and UPC
  • Engineering education
  • Professor of Practice, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Faculty Advisor, Formula SAE Enterprise

Areas of Expertise

  • Noise and Vibration
  • Model Validation
  • Modal Analysis
  • Structural Dynamics

Research Interests

  • Model Validation
  • Digital Data Processing
  • Robust Engineering
  • Noise and Vibration
  • System Design
  • Assistant Teaching Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Areas of Expertise 

  • Solid Mechanics
  • Mechanics of Composites
  • Finite Element Analysis
  • CAE (CAD/CAM)
  • Dynamic Systems Modelling

Research Interests

  • Molecular Dynamics
  • Micro-Mechanics
  • High Performance Carbon Composites
  • Computer Aided Design for Analysis (FEA & CFD)
  • Computer Aided Design for Manufacturing (CAM)
  • Engineering Education – Improving Instruction in STEM
  • Curriculum and Program Assessment
  • Teaching Professor, Engineering Fundamentals
  • Instructor, Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology

Research Interests

  • Educational methods
  • Student engagement and experience
  • Student community development
  • Cross discipline holistic education
Nagesh Hatti

Nagesh Hatti

  • Director, The Enterprise Program and Chair, Enterprise Governing Board
  • Advisor, ITOxygen

Specialties

  • Corporate/Industry Sponsorship
  • Program Management
  • Director, Great Lakes Research Center
  • Director, Institute of Computing and Cybersystems
  • William and Gloria Jackson Professor

Links of Interest

Areas of Interest

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Machine Learning
  • Signal and Image Processing
  • Sensor and Data Fusion
  • Heterogeneous Data Mining
  • Professor of Practice, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Affiliated Professor of Practice, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Director, Machining and Additive Manufacturing Facilities

Research Interests

  • Automation of manufacturing processes
  • Additive, subtractive, hybrid manufacturing systems

Teaching Interests

  • Fundamentals of Machine Tool Technology
  • Computer Aided Manufacturing
  • Applied Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing
  • Design for Additive Manufacturing
  • Assistant Teaching Professor, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Faculty Advisor, SAE Baja Enterprise

Research Interests

  • Research Interests
  • Hydraulics
  • Vibrations/Modal Analysis

Teaching Interests

  • Applied fluid power
  • Statics
  • Dynamics
  • Vibrations
  • Associate Professor, Computer Science
  • Affiliated Associate Professor, Psychology and Human Factors
  • Faculty Advisor, Husky Game Development Enterprise

Area of Expertise

  • Computer Graphics
  • Virtual Environments
  • Head-mounted displays
  • Human Perception
  • Assistant Professor, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Affiliated Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Faculty Advisor, Advanced Metalworks Enterprise

Research Interests

  • Biomechanics—Solid Mechanics
    • Head Impacts
    • Helmet Performance and Design
  • Solid Mechanics
    • Finite Element Analysis and Vibration Analysis
  • Manufacturing
    • Machinability of Metals

Specialties

  • Understanding football helmet design and performance
  • Solid mechanics and finite element analysis methods
  • Helping student groups with design and analysis of components
  • Vibration analysis
  • Shock analysis methods
Steven Lehmann

Steven D. Lehmann

  • Staff Engineer II, Biomedical Engineering
  • Advisor, Velovations Enterprise

Links of Interest

Specialties

  •  LabVIEW programming and instruction
  • Data Acquisition
  • Test Automation
  • Sensors
  • Assistant Dean and Teaching Professor in Management
  • Director, Husky Innovate

Teaching

  • Business Development
  • Economics Development
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Management Information Systems
  • Professor of Practice, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
  • Faculty Advisor, Innovative Global Solutions Enterprise

Teaching Interests

  • Engineering Problem Solving and Analysis
  • Systems Modeling
  • Engineering Design Process
  • Wastewater Treatment
  • Mining Methods and Materials Handling 

Research Interests

  • Biotechnology Resource Recovery
  • Environmental Consequences of Mining Waste
  • Engineering Education 
  • Chair, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering
  • Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Research Interests

  • Water and Wastewater Treatment
  • Water reclamation systems and Fate of personal products in treatment systems
  • Assistant Teaching Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Faculty Advisor, Open Source Hardware Enterprise
  • Director, The Alley MakerSpace

Areas of Interest

  • Open Source Hardware
  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Digital Design
  • Robotics Design
  • Engineering Education
  • Associate Professor, Computer Science
  • Affiliated Associate Professor, Psychology and Human Factors
  • Faculty Advisor, Humane Interface Design Enterprise

Links of Interest

Area of Expertise

  • Mobile App Design and Usability
  • Software Development and Processes
  • Computer Science Education
  • Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • SAE-GM Autodrive Challenge II Co-advisor
  • Area Director, Design/Dynamic Systems

Areas of Expertise

  • Electrification of Mobility Systems
  • Connected and Automated Vehicles
  • Automatic Transmissions
  • Torque Converter and Clutch Dynamics

Research Interests

  • Powertrain and propulsion system electrification
  • Connected and Automated Vehicle optimal control for energy
  • Multi-speed transmission powerflow synthesis
  • Drivetrain dynamics and NVH
  • Torque converters and clutch systems
  • Professor of Practice in Forest Biomaterials
  • Coordinator of Industrial Research, Innovation, and Commercialization
  • Director of Ford Center and Forest

Areas of Expertise

  • Forest Biomaterials
  • Tree biomechanics
  • Wind and trees
  • Dendrochronology
  • Extension and Outreach
Erin Smith
"Also, you'll find a pair of safety glasses and some earplugs under your seats. Please feel free to use them."
—Max Fischer, Rushmore
  • Director, Humanities Digital Media Zone
  • Teaching Professor in Digital Media and Cinema, Humanities
  • Faculty Advisor, Cin/Optic Communication and Media Enterprise

Links of Interest

41 North Film Festival

Specialties

  • Digital Media Production
  • Documentary Production and Theory
  • Film Theory and Criticism
  • Academic Technology Administration
  • British Literature
  • Teaching Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Graduate Seminar Series Coordinator

Teaching Interests

  • Introduction to Manufacturing
  • Quality Engineering
  • Fundamentals of Six-Sigma
  • Design of Experiments
  • Micro-Manufacturing Processes
  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Production Planning
  • Lean Manufacturing
  • Sustainable Manufacturing
  • Semiconductor Fabrication Processes

Areas of Expertise

  • Quality Engineering
  • Total Productive Maintenance
  • Lean Manufacturing
  • Mechanical Micromachining
  • Macro- and Micro-manufacturing
  • Semiconductor Fabrication Processes
  • Curriculum and Program Development and Improvement
  • Curriculum and Program Assessment
  • Online Teaching and Learning
  • Online Course Design, Development, and Review

Research Interests

  • Process and Product Development and Improvement
  • Macro-, Micro-, and Nano-manufacturing
  • Micro- and Nano-technology
  • Implantable Medical Devices
  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Education Research
  • Curriculum and Program Assessment
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Sense of Belonging