Additional Roles
Assistant Director of the Industrial Assessment Center, and Assistant Director of the Mobile Energy Laboratory at the University of Florida. He is also an Affiliate Faculty at the Center for Latin American Studies
Education
BS, University of Chile, 1989
Ph.D. University of Florida, 1998
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
Association of Energy Engineers, Member
Research Interests
Industrial energy management and productivity, energy efficiency and optimization, energy policy, new energy sources and materials, chemical reactivity and structure optimization at molecular level.
Teaching Interests
Industrial Energy Management, Linear Algebra, Matrix and Numerical Methods, Chemical Systems Reactivity and Optimization.
Carl D. Crane is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of the Center for Intelligent Machines and Robotics (CIMAR) at the University of Florida. He received his B.S. and M.E. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1978 and 1979. Following this he spent five years as an officer in the Army Corps of Engineers. He then went on to continue his studies and received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Florida in 1987. In 2003 he was named a fellow of ASME. Dr. Crane has been involved in research in the areas of spatial mechanisms, tensegrity systems, robotics, and autonomous navigation for over twenty five years. Current activities include the development and implementation of system architectures for autonomous ground vehicle navigation and the design and implementation of passive parallel mechanisms to be used for force control applications. Dr. Crane was team leader of the University of Florida’s 2004 and 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge autonomous vehicle development efforts and for the University of Florida’s 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge project team. Dr. Crane has authored one book and over forty papers in the area of spatial geometry and robotic systems. He has supervised one hundred and ten Master’s graduates and forty one Ph.D. graduates during his career at the University of Florida.
Education
Ph.D., 1987, University of Florida,M.E., 1979, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,B.S., 1978, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Society of Engineering Education, Member
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
American Nuclear Society, Member
Teaching Interests
Robotics, computer aided design, and mechanical design.
Research Interests
Spatial mechanisms, robotics, autonomous ground vehicles.
Education
Ph.D., 2006, University of Florida
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
The American Society for Mechanical Engineers, Member
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Engineering Mechanics (statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials)
Engineering Design
Computer Programming for Engineers (LabVIEW and Matlab)
Research Interests
Computational image analysis
Electrical contact mechanics
Tribology
Engineering education methods for very-large enrollment courses
Education
Ph.D., 2020, University of Florida
Research Interests
Prognostics and health management, maintenance of aircraft structure
Teaching Interests
- Capstone Senior Design classes: Mechanical Engineering Design III, Aerospace Design I (Spacecraft Design), and Aerospace Design II (Aircraft Design).
- Solid Mechanics classes: Finite Element Analysis and Design, Mechanics of Materials, Aerospace Structures, and Mechanical Engineering Design I.
Mr. Michael Generale is a seasoned professional with over thirty years of experience in the Aerospace industry. He was intimately involved in developing and operating aerospace vehicles with the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
He was a Contracting Officer Technical Representative with the United States Air Force on the Small ICBM, Peacekeeper ICBM, and Titan IV space launcher programs. He oversaw the development, production, and fielding of Air Force launch vehicles.
He spent 28 years with NASA as a Space Shuttle Orbiter Operations Engineer, Space Shuttle and International Space Station Payloads Processing and Operations Engineer, International Space Station Payloads Test Director, Orion Program Test Director, and Orion Recovery Operations Manager. He has extensive experience developing, testing, integrating, and operating spaceflight hardware and related equipment. He led the team that recovered the first flight Orion space capsule on the EFT-1 mission in 2016.
Mr. Generale’s leadership skills have been honed through extensive experience leading large, multi-organizational, blended government and contractor teams. Under his guidance, these teams have successfully performed test and flight operations of spaceflight and support hardware during dynamic, time-critical, and high-profile mission activities.
Since 2020, Mr. Generale has shared his wealth of knowledge and experience as an adjunct professor at the University of Florida. His Capstone course in Aerospace Design, which he teaches with great passion, equips graduating seniors with the skills necessary to excel in their own careers in the Aerospace industry. He takes great pride in guiding groups of students, who start as relative strangers, to become high-functioning teams in the course of a few weeks.
education
- 1993 – Master of Science degree in Engineering/Industrial Management from the University of Central Florida
- 1985 – Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida
notable awards
- The Air Force Office of the Inspector General recognized him as a key player and innovator in effectively developing and fielding USAF launch vehicles (1986).
- He earned the NASA Silver Achievement Medal for his leadership in developing the procedures and hardware used in the Orion Underway Recovery Test #1 (2013).
Professor Greenslet received her Ph.D. in 1996 from Utsunomiya University in Japan. Her research interests include Magnetic field-assisted finishing; Surface functionalization and characterization; Ultra-precision surface finishing of optics; Surface and edge finishing of capillary tubes, catheter shafts and stents; and Medical device development.
Education
Ph.D., 1996, Utsunomiya University, Japan
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
CIRP (International Academy for Production Engineering), Fellow 2023
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow 2015
Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Fellow 2016
SPIE (International Society for Optics and Photonics), Member
Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Manufacturing engineering, Fundamentals of production engineering, Nontraditional manufacturing engineering.
Research Interests
Magnetic field-assisted finishing, Sheet metal forming, Surface functionalization and characterization, Ultra-precision surface finishing of optics, Medical device development
After 20 years in the robotics industry, Mike came back to UF to teach the design courses.
Education
1991 Ph.D. University of Florida
1988 MSME University of Florida
1985 BSME University of Florida
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Design, Kinematics, Statics, Numerical Methods
Research Interests
Kinematics, Statics, Screw Theory
Chase Hartquist is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he investigated the mechanics of fracture in soft network materials. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied the mechanics of vascular surgery and biomedical materials. His research focuses on understanding the mechanical and failure behaviors of soft structures, networks, and polymers. This work leverages fundamental structure-property relationships across length scales to inform design of high-performing soft materials and structures for emerging applications in medical technology and clean energy.
Education
Ph.D., 2025, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MS, 2021, Washington University in St. Louis
BS, 2020, Washington University in St. Louis
Research Interests
Solid Mechanics, Soft Materials, Polymer Physics, Biomechanics, Medical Devices
Teaching Interests
Mechanics of Materials, Continuum Mechanics, Fracture Mechanics, Biosolid Mechanics, Soft Tissue Mechanics
Dr. Yong Huang is a professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering. His research interests are two-fold: 1) processing of biological and engineering materials for healthcare/energy applications, and 2) understanding of dynamic material behavior during manufacturing and process-induced damage or defect structures. He served as the Technical Program Chair for the 2010 American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (ASME MSEC 2010) and the 2012 International Symposium on Flexible Automation (ISFA 2012). He received various awards for his manufacturing research contributions including the ASME Blackall Machine Tool and Gage Award (2005), the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award (2006), the NSF CAREER Award (2008), and the ASME International Symposium on Flexible Automation Young Investigator Award (2008). He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2002 and is a Fellow of ASME.
Education
Ph.D., 2002, Georgia Institute of Technology
Teaching Interests
Manufacturing Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing Processes and Analyses, Mechanics of Materials
Research Interests
- Three-dimensional (3D) printing of biological and engineering materials from difficult-to-print ink materials using inkjetting, extrusion, and laser-induced forward transfer,
- Design and fabrication of microphysiological and engineered living systems, and
- Study of dynamic material behavior using jetting and machining.
Education
Ph.D., 1992, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Research Interests
Experimental mechanics, moire interferometry, compositie materials, micro air vehicles.
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Member
Dr. Nam-Ho Kim is presently a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida. He graduated with a Ph.D. in the Department of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iowa in 1999 and worked at the Center for Computer-Aided Design as a postdoctoral associate until 2001. He is an Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and an Associate Editor of Journal of Mechanical Design and Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization. He has published seven books and more than two hundred refereed journal and conference papers.
Education
Ph.D., 1999, University of Iowa
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
American Society of Engineering Education, Member
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
International Society for Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Member
Teaching Interests
Finite element method, structural optimization, verification validation and uncertainty quantification, prognostics and health management, Aerospace structures, Applied elasticity.
Research Interests
Design under uncertainty, Prognostics and health management, Verification validation and uncertainty quantification, Nonlinear structural mechanics.
Education
Ph.D., 1993, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Research Interests
Multifunctional structures, Finite Element Method, Geometric Modeling, Design Optimization and Rapid Prototyping.
Education
Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, 1995, University of Minnesota
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
Research Interests
aeroservoelasticity, morphing, controls, flight testing
Amor A. Menezes is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida, with affiliate appointments in Biomedical Engineering, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Genetics, and Chemical Engineering. He is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Standing Committee on Advances and National Security Implications of Transdisciplinary Biotechnology. His research focuses on modeling and controlling biological processes for medical and space applications. His group develops feedback control systems for inflammation-mediated coagulation disorders; advances the theory of biomolecular positive dynamical systems; designs integrated space biomanufacturing systems; and genetically engineers microbes to reject extreme environments. As Principal Investigator of three multi-university experiments launched to the International Space Station, he established the viability of space microbial biomanufacturing. From 2017-2023, he was Science Principal Investigator of NASA’s Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space. Prof. Menezes’ research was recognized by the NSF CAREER award, the Synthetic Biology Leadership Excellence Accelerator Program, and the Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative. He has contributed to the Engineering Biology Research Consortium’s “Engineering Biology for Space Health Roadmap”, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy workshop on “Homesteading in Space”, and the National Intelligence Council Strategic Futures Group’s “Global Trends Report”. He is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Control Systems Society Technology Conference Editorial Board and the ASME Modeling, Estimation and Control Conference Editorial Board. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Member of AIAA, ASME, and ASGSR. Prof. Menezes received a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan, and completed postdoctoral training in aerospace engineering and bioengineering at the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley, respectively.
Education
Postdoc, 2016, University of California, Berkeley;
Postdoc, 2011, University of Michigan;
Ph.D., 2010, University of Michigan;
M.S.E., 2006, University of Michigan;
B.A.Sc., 2005, University of Waterloo
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, Member
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Senior Member
Teaching Interests
Modeling and Control of Biological Systems, Control of Linear and Nonlinear Systems, and Aircraft and Spacecraft Performance and Control.
Research Interests
Biological Control Systems, Biosecurity, Cellular Engineering, Nonlinear Control, Synthetic Biology, and Systems Biology.
Dr. Sean Niemi received his Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida in 2018.
Education
Ph.D., 2018, University of Florida
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Society of Engineering Education, Member
Society of Automotive Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Engineering Design, Precision Engineering, Tribology, Metrology, Quality and Manufacturing Engineering
Jing Pan received his PhD from Purdue University in 2017. His research focuses on developing nanoscale machineries for biotechnology applications. He conducted his postdoctoral research at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he demonstrated translational impact of his work in novel biosensors and molecular diagnostics.
Education
Postdoc, 2019 Stanford University
Ph.D, 2017 Purdue University
B.S, 2011 Xi’an Jiaotong University
Teaching Interests
Heat and Mass Transfer; Classical and Statistical Thermodynamics; Modern Optics and Imaging System Engineering; Biodesign
Research Interests
Macromolecular Machines; Directed Evolution; Self-assembly and self-organization; Bio-nanotechnology; Synthetic Biology; Medical Technology.
Dr. Umesh Persad obtained his Ph.D. in Engineering Design from The University of Cambridge (Cambridge Engineering Design Centre), with a special focus on Inclusive and Healthcare Design. His areas of interest include Engineering Design and Product Development, Applied Artificial Intelligence, Educational Innovation and Technology, and Academic Strategy and Leadership. Dr. Persad previously held the position of Associate Professor and Head of Department of the Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship (MME) Department at The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), West Indies. He was also the co-director of the UTT Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence Research (CAAIR).
Dr. Persad consults for companies across a range of industries in carrying out design and innovation audits, and in developing methods and tools that support product and process innovation. He is driven by the desire to develop creative young engineers, and to develop solutions that could help people and make technology available to those who need it the most. Dr. Persad’s greatest satisfaction comes from seeing students’ confidence grow in their own problem-solving abilities while developing the right attitudes to be successful lifelong learners and contributors to society.
Education
Ph.D. (2012), Engineering Design, University of Cambridge
B.Sc. (2000), Mechanical Engineering (First Class Honours), University of the West Indies
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Engineering Design and Product Development
Creativity and Innovation
Design for People
Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence in Design
Computational Design Synthesis for Biomedical Applications
Inclusive/Universal Design
Design Management and Process Improvement
Engineering Design Education – Artificial Intelligence Applications
Selected Publications
Alicia Petersen is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the University of Florida. Through data analysis, instrumentation and modeling, Dr. Petersen researches the kinetic physics, magnetism and dynamics at play during the transit and interaction of space weather phenomena in the inner solar system, their impacts on spacecraft, and strategies for mitigating the impacts of space weather.
Dr. Petersen joined the Department of MAE in 2022 after being an NRC Research Fellow at the Space Vehicles Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory where she researched the propagation of space weather events in order to improve space weather forecasting, with the aim of enhancing space situational awareness and protecting space-based assets for the US Air Force and Space Force. Dr. Petersen earned her PhD and MS from the Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering Dept. at the University of Michigan.
Research
Space weather events have damaging effects on spacecraft, communications, GPS, air transportation, and power systems. Space weather is caused by phenomena which originate at the Sun and propagate through the inner solar system before reaching Earth. This region is dominated by the Sun’s heliospheric magnetic field, which is both shaped by and shapes the propagation of ionized plasma and particles throughout the solar system. This includes explosive eruptions of plasma known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and energetic particles known as solar energetic particles (SEPs). Dr. Petersen’s lab, SWIFT (Space Weather Impacts, Forecasting and Transit) at MAE does computational modeling of the Sun’s magnetic field and solar electrons in the inner solar system, designing/building instrumentation for monitoring space weather and using in situ space-based observations of solar particles to investigate the propagation and interactions of space weather events.
Education
Dr. Alicia Petersen earned her PhD & MS in Space Physics, Engineering and Scientific Computing from the Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering Department in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Petersen spent two years studying particle physics and German while studying abroad in Erlangen, Germany and doing research at the Remeis-Sternwarte Observatory in Bamberg, Germany. She earned her undergraduate degree in Physics and Mathematics from Kalamazoo College in Michigan.
Teaching
The Space Environment; Space Physics; Heliophysics; Dynamics; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice (DEIJ) in STEM,
Engineering Education and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Dr. Petersen has served on the Executive Committee of the American Geophysical Union’s Education Section. She researches and implements research-based education practices in her lab and classroom to create engaging and inclusive learning environments. Dr. Petersen is passionate about promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and has extensive training and experience engaging in actions to enhance DEI in the teaching, research and culture of academia.
Prof. John K. Schueller received his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1983. He is a generalist with some concentration in manufacturing and in off-highway vehicles and equipment. He is a Fellow of ASABE, IAABE, and SAE and holds Founder, Life, and/or Senior Member status in ASME, EurAgEng, IEEE, ISAE, and SME. Prof. Schueller is the Chair Editor-in-Chief of Computers and Electronics in Agriculture and serves on the Management Committee of the Club of Bologna. His awards, including the Kishida, Magoon, Pinckney, Teetor, and Vasey, have primarily been for his work in high-speed machining of metal alloys, precision agriculture, international activities, and teaching. He has previously been employed by Gilson Brothers Company, Purdue University, Texas A&M University, Caterpillar, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden, and Kyoto University.
Education
Ph.D., 1983, Purdue University
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Society of Engineering Education, Member
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Institute of Electrics and Electronics Engineers, Member
Society of Automotive Engineers, Fellow 2003
Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Member
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
controls, manufacturing, mechatronics, off-highway vehicles
Research Interests
manufacturing, off-highway vehicles, precision agriculture
Professor Xin Tang received his Post-doctoral training from Harvard University and Ph.D. from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research centers at the interface of engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology. His lab studies cell and molecular mechanics in cancer, cardiovascular system, and neurons; unconventional mechano-electrophysiology; quantitative in vivo/vitro functional bio-imaging; AI/ML-powered bio-nanotechnology; and development of new biophysical tools to probe biological function/structure. His research is supported by NIH, NSF, AFOSR/DoD, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Opportunity Funds, and etc. He was awarded the NIH Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award (R35), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Tumor Microenvironment (TME) Junior Investigator, Researcher of the Year 2024 Award in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, NIH/NCI-designated UF Health Cancer Center Rising Star of the 2024 Year Award, and Faculty Advisor/Mentor of the Year 2025 Award in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
Education
Postdoc, 2017, Harvard University
Ph.D., 2013, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Teaching Interests
Active Soft Matter Biophysics; Biomechanics at Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Scales; Quantitative Optical Bio-imaging; Continuum Mechanics; and Finite-element Analysis
Research Interests
Biomechanics, Mechanobiology and Soft Matter: Cell and molecular mechanics in cancer development and metastasis, cardiovascular system, and neurons; unconventional mechano-electrophysiology; quantitative in vivo/vitro functional bio-imaging; bio-nanotechnology; and development of new biophysical tools to probe biological function/structure.
Recent Publications
Yin Xin, Keming Li , Miao Huang, Chenyu Liang, Dietmar Siemann, Lizi Wu, Youhua Tan, and Xin Tang, Biophysics in tumor growth and progression: from single mechano-sensitive molecules to mechanomedicine. 2023, Oncogene (Nature), https://www.nature.com/articles/s41388-023-02844-x.pdf.
Note: This article is selected as “The best of Oncogene 2023″.
Chenyu Liang, Qian Zhang, Xin Chen, Jiawei Liu, Mai Tanaka, Shu Wang, Sharon E. Lepler, Zeyuan Jin, Dietmar W. Siemann, Bo Zeng, and Xin Tang, Human cancer cells generate spontaneous calcium transients and intercellular waves that modulate tumor growth, Biomaterials (Impact Factor: 15.3), 2022, 290, 121823, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014296122200463X.
Chenyu Liang, Miao Huang, Tianqi Li, Lu Li, Hayley Sussman, Yao Dai, Dietmar W. Siemann, Mingyi Xie, and Xin Tang, Towards an integrative understanding of cancer mechanobiology: calcium, YAP, and microRNA under biophysical forces, Soft Matter (Impact Factor: 4.1), 2022,18, 1112-1148, https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/sm/d1sm01618k
Dr. Matthew J. Traum is an experienced educator, administrator, fund raiser, and researcher serving the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida as an instructional faculty member. Traum serves as Principle Investigator of UF’s GatorKits Laboratory focused on pedagogical research and best practices for hands-on kit-centered STEM instruction. A serial entrepreneur and inventor in the Ed Tech, Energy Tech, and Bio Tech industries, Dr. Traum is Founding Director of RaveBio, a biotechnology startup and UF spin-off created by his former students to commercialize multifunctional biological shaker tables. Previously, Dr. Traum was an Associate Professor and Director of Engineering Programs at Philadelphia University. Prior to PhilaU, he served on the Milwaukee School of Engineering faculty and was co-founder of the Mechanical & Energy Engineering Department at the University of North Texas – Denton. Dr. Traum’s pedagogical expertise includes teaching and assessment for Web-based STEM courses with labs as well as instructing and evaluating large-enrollment engineering design courses. His experimental research expertise encompasses design and metrology of novel alternative energy systems including Tesla turbines, direct-air cryogenic carbon sequestration, and vapor transport through multi-functional micro- and nano-porous media.
Education
B.S., 2001, Mechanical Engineering, University of California – Irvine,
B.S., 2001, Aerospace Engineering [cum laude], University of California – Irvine,
M.S., 2003, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Ph.D., 2007, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
Association of Energy Engineers, Member
American Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
American Society of Engineering Education, Member
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Member
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Tesla Engine Builders Association, Member
Textbook & Academic Authors Association, Member
Teaching Interests
Design and Energy-Thermal-Fluids
Research Interests
Teaching and assessing Web-based STEM courses with labs; evaluation and instruction of large-enrollment engineering design courses; design and metrology for novel alternative energy systems: Tesla turbines, direct-air cryogenic carbon sequestration, and vapor transport through micro- and nano-porous media.