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Dr. Ashland O. Brown is currently a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of the Pacific's School of Engineering and Computer Science. He served as a program director in the Mechanical/Civil Engineering section of the National Science Foundation from 1998 to 1999. He served as dean of engineering at the University of the Pacific from 1991 to 1998, and dean of engineering technology at South Carolina State University from 1989 to 1991. He served as an engineering group manager for Body Structures Design Group at General Motor Corporation in the Warren Technical Center from 1984 to 1989. Dr, Brown was also an engineering principal engineer for a number of engine, and structural design groups at Ford Motor Company from 1977 to 1984. He was a research engineer at Eastman Kodak Corporation from 1974 to 1977. Dr. Brown received both his M.S. and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Connecticut at Storrs, CT in 1970 and 1974 respectively. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University at West Lafayette, Ind. in 1966. He is currently the PI at the University of the Pacific for the four-year collaborative National Science Foundation TUES DUE grant entitled Improving Learning for Undergraduate Engineering Programs using Finite Element Learning Modules. This is a joint collaboration award with the University of Texas, in Austin. He has authored approximately 50 papers with over 20 using finite element learning modules in undergraduate engineering. He was the PI for the initial four year, NSF CCI grant entitled The Finite Element Method Exercises for Use in Undergraduate Engineering Programs.

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Dr. Richard H. Crawford is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and is the Temple Foundation Endowed Faculty Fellow No. 3. He is also Director of the Design Projects program in Mechanical Engineering. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1982, and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1985 and his Ph.D. in 1989, both from Purdue University. He teaches mechanical engineering design and geometry modeling for design. Dr. Crawford’s research interests span topics in computer-aided mechanical design and design theory and methodology. Dr. Crawford is co-founder of the DTEACh program, a ”Design Technology” program for K-12, and is active on the faculty of the UTeachEngineering program that seeks to educate teachers of high school engineering.

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Dr. Dan Jensen is a professor of engineering mechanics at the U.S. Air Force Academy where he has been since 1997. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, his M.S. in Applied Mechanics and his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has worked for Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, NASA, University of the Pacific, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and MSC Software Corp. His research includes design of Micro Air Vehicles, development of innovative design methodologies and enhancement of engineering education. Dr Jensen has authored approximately 100 papers and has been awarded over $3 million of research grants.

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Dr. Joseph J. Rencis is the dean of engineering by the Clay N. Hixson Chair for Engineering Leadership, and professor of mechanical engineering at Tennessee Technological University. From 2004 to 2011, he was in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and was Department Head, inaugural 21st Century Leadership Chair in Mechanical Engineering, and professor. From 1985 to 2004, he was professor and director of Engineering Mechanics in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His research focuses on boundary element methods, finite element methods, atomistic modeling, and engineering education. He currently serves on the editorial board of Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements and the Journal of Online Engineering Education. He is an associate editor of the International Series on Advances in Boundary Elements. Currently, he serves as chair of ASEE Professional Interest Council (PIC) III, an ABET program evaluator, and a member of the ASME National Nominating Committee. He received the 2002 ASEE New England Section Teacher of Year Award, the 2004 ASEE New England Section Outstanding Leader Award, the 2006 ASEE Mechanics Division James L. Meriam Service Award, and the 2010 ASEE Midwest Section Outstanding Service Award. Rencis is a fellow of ASEE and ASME. He received a B.S. from Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1980, a M.S. from Northwestern University in 1982, and a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University in 1985.

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Dr. Jiancheng Liu is an associate professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of the Pacific. Prior to joining at the University of the Pacific, he has worked in industries for many years. His research focuses on CNC machine design and analysis, computer-aided manufacturing and manufacturing system automation. He has published more than 80 peer reviewed technical journal and conference papers. Dr. Liu was also awarded four patents. He has invented many new technologies which have been practically applied in industries. He received the Industrial LEAD Award from SME in 2001. Dr. Liu received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering in China. After receiving his Ph.D. degree in Japan, he moved to the United States in 1997 and did his post-doctorate work at the University of California,

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Dr. Kyle A. Watson is an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of the Pacific. He has taught undergraduate courses in thermodynamics, heat transfer, combustion, air-conditioning, dynamics, capstone design, and introduction to engineering. Dr. Watson received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Villanova University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University. He has published numerous journal articles in the areas of experimental combustion science and engineering pedagogy.

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Dr. Kathy Jackson is a senior research associate at Pennsylvania State University’s Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence. In this position, she promotes Penn State’s commitment to enriching teaching and learning. Dr. Jackson works in all aspects of education including faculty development, instructional design, engineering education, learner support, and evaluation.

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Dr. Rachelle Hackett is an associate professor in the Educational and School Psychology Department in the Benerd School of Education where she teaches graduate students social science research methodology and applied statistics. She also serves as an independent evaluator of various educational programs designed to improve STEM teaching and learning.

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Dr. Paul H. Schimpf received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering (Summa Cum Laude), his M.S. in Electrical Engineering, and his Ph.D. from the University of Washington at Seattle in 1982, 1987, and 1995, respectively. He began his academic career in 1998, and is currently the chair of the Department of Computer Science at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash. His research interest includes numerical methods for forward and inverse solutions to partial differential equations with biomedical applications. Prior to his academic career, he was employed as a senior principal
design engineer in the electronics industry, where he enjoyed fifteen years of experience developing parallel embedded signal and image processing systems.

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Dr. Chen has been an associate professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at California State Polytechnic University Pomona since 2009. He earned his B.S. from National ChiaoTung University in Taiwan and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Ohio State University. All are in the field of Mechanical Engineering. Prior to joining Cal Poly Pomona, he was an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering
Department at Tuskegee University. His teaching and research interests include solid mechanics, system dynamics, measurements, noise and vibrations.

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Dr. Orabi joined the faculty of the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of New Haven in 1986. Dr. Orabi received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cairo Institute of Technology (now Helwan University), in 1975, his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, in 1982, and his Ph.D. degree from Clarkson University, in 1987. Prior to joining the University of New Haven, he taught at Clarkson University as an Instructor for two years in the department of mechanical engineering and two years at the Cairo Institute of Technology. Dr. Orabi has received a number of research awards from the state of Connecticut, Untied Technologies, and NSF. In 2010, he was awarded an NSF-grant proposal in collaboration with eight colleges to Improved Learning for Undergraduate Engineering Programs for $600,000. He has established two laboratories: the Materials Testing Laboratory sponsored by the National Science Foundation, and the Engineering Multimedia Laboratory funded by AT&T. Dr. Orabi was awarded the ASEE Instrumentation Division Best Paper Award in 2000. He was a visiting professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) from 1996 to 1998. He is a member of ASME and ASEE.

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Dr. John J. Wood is currently an associate professor of Engineering Mechanics at the United States Air Force Academy. Dr. Wood completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University in the design and empirical analysis of compliant systems. He received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Wright State University and his B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1984. Dr. Wood joined the faculty at the United States Air Force Academy in 1994 while serving on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. After completing his Ph.D. in 2002, he returned to the Air Force Academy where he has been on the faculty since. The current focus of Dr. Wood’s research includes the development of robotic ground and air vehicle systems using innovative design techniques using current technology implementations, as well as futuristic projections. Dr Wood also publishes research on advances in the methodology for creative electromechanical systems design.

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Brock Dunlap is currently a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin studying active learning and prototyping methodology. He plans to graduate in May 2014 with a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus in design and manufacturing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University.

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Ella Sargent is currently a graduate research assistant and school psychology doctoral student in the Benerd School of Education at the University of the Pacific. She received her B.A. in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach.

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