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Ashland O. Brown, Ph.D., P.E. is currently a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of the Pacific 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 the Body Structures Design Group at General Motor Corporation in the Warren Technical Center from 1984 to 1989, and served as a Engineering Principal Engineer for a number of engine and structural design groups at Ford Motor Company from 1977 to 1984. He served as a Research Engineer at Eastman Kodak Corporation from 1974 to1977. He received his M.S. (1970) and Ph.D. (1974) in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn. and his B.S. (1966) in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. 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," a joint collaboration award with the University of Texas, in Austin. He has authored approximately 50 papers with more than 20 on using finite element learning modules in undergraduate engineering. He was the PI for the initial four-year NSF CCLI grant entitled "The Finite Element Method Exercises for use in Undergraduate Engineering Programs."

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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. (mechanical engineering), M.S. (applied mechanics) and Ph.D. (aerospace engineering science) from the University of Colorado, 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. Jensen has authored approximately 100 papers and has been awarded more than $2.5 million in research grants.

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Joseph J. Rencis is Dean of Engineering, 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, 2004 ASEE New England Section Outstanding Leader Award, 2006 ASEE Mechanics Division James L. Meriam Service Award, and 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. V-mail: 931-372-3832; Email: jjrencis@tntech.edu.

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Kristin L. Wood is currently a Professor, Head of Pillar, and co-Director of the International Design Center (IDC) at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Wood completed his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering (Division of Engineering and Applied Science) at the California Institute of Technology, where he was an AT&T Bell Laboratories Ph.D. Scholar. Wood joined the faculty at the University of Texas in Sept. 1989 and established a computational and experimental laboratory for research in engineering design and manufacturing. He was a National Science Foundation Young Investigator, the Cullen Trust for Higher Education Endowed Professor in Engineering, and University Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas, Austin.

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Kyle Watson earned 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 been a faculty member at the University of the Pacific since 2003 and has taught undergraduate courses in thermodynamics, heat transfer, combustion, air-conditioning, dynamics, and senior capstone design.

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Chuan-Chiang Chen is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona since 2009. He earned his B.S. degree from National ChiaoTung University, Taiwan, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Ohio State University, all 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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Currently, Vladimir Labay is a professor and Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., USA. Labay was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and earned a B.Sc.(E.E.) and M.Sc.(E.E.) from the University of Manitoba. After graduating with a Ph.D. from the University of Victoria in 1995, he remained in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada as a lecturer and research engineer until he accepted an Assistant Professor position in 1999 at Eastern Washington University located in Cheney, Wash., USA. In 2007, Labay was a visiting scholar at SRM University in Chennai, India. His research interests include modeling of and the development of microwave/millimeter-wave integrated circuit devices used in wireless and satellite communications.

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Ismail Orabi is professor of mechanical engineering, University of New Haven. Orabi has been performing research and teaching in the areas of machine design, mechanical vibrations, and dynamic systems and control. His research efforts have received support and awards from NASA, NSF, the state of Connecticut, and United Technologies. He received the ASEE Instrumentation Division Best Paper Award. He has published more than 30 refereed journal articles and conference publications.

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Firas Akasheh is an Assistant Professor at the Mechanical Engineering Department at Tuskegee University. He obtained a Ph.D in mechanical engineering from Washington State University in 2007. Besides his research interest in computational material science, he has interest in engineering education.

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John J. Wood is currently an Associate Professor of engineering mechanics at the United States Air Force Academy. 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. 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 ever since. The current focus of Wood’s research is the continued development of empirical testing methods using similitude-based approaches. This approach provides significant potential for increasing the efficiency of the design process through a reduction in required full-scale testing and an expansion of the projected performance profiles using empirically-based prediction techniques. Wood’s research also includes the development of robotic ground and air vehicle systems using innovative conceptual design techniques for current technology implementations, as well as futuristic projections, applied in the framework of a senior capstone design course.

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Rachelle Kisst Hackett, Ph.D, is an Associate Professor in the Benerd School of Education within the Educational and School Psychology Department, where she teaches graduate-level research methodology and applied statistics courses. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University. In addition to serving as a consultant to faculty and students within her unit, Hackett serves as an independent evaluator on several state and federally-funded projects related to education.

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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. Jackson works in all aspects of education, including faculty development, instructional design, engineering education, learner support, and evaluation.

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Jiancheng Liu serves as an Associate Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of the Pacific. Prior to joining the University of the Pacific, he has worked in industry 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. Liu was also awarded five patents. He has invented many new technologies, which have been practically applied in industries. He received the Industrial LEAD Award from SME in 2001. 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 States in 1997 and did his postdoctoral work at the University of California, Davis. V-mail: 209-946-3079; Email: jliu@pacific.edu.

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Alexis Pham is currently a Ph.D. student in educational psychology. She examines how students learn and develop in educational settings. She holds a M.A. in educational and counseling psychology from the University of the Pacific.

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Krystian Zimowski is currently a Graduate Student at the University of Texas, Austin, studying wind energy harvesting. He plans to graduate in May 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 Northwestern University.

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Kristin Taylor is currently in the process of completing her master's of engineering science in mechanical engineering at University of the Pacific, where she is also working as a Graduate Assistant. She has also completed her bachelor's of science in bioengineering at the University of the Pacific.

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