Our Faculty
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
CORE FACULTY
Venkattraman (Venkatt) Ayyaswamy
Plasma science and engineering; microplasmas; plasma-wave interaction; nanomaterial synthesis modeling; stochastic modeling of non-equilibrium flows; rarefied/microscale gas dynamics
Email: vayyaswamy@ucmerced.edu
mehmet z. baykara
Mechanics on the nanometer and atomic scales; scanning probe microscopy with applications in nanotribology and nanoelectronics; atomic-resolution imaging and spectroscopy of surfaces; surface science
Email: mehmet.baykara@ucmerced.edu
yangquan chen
Scientific data-drones and unmanned aircraft systems; mechatronics and control systems; cyber-physical systems; applied fractional calculus in complex phenomena characterization; complex signal analysis; complex system modeling and control
Email: ychen53@ucmerced.edu
Po-YA abel chuang
Experimental and modeling research of renewable energy: Hydrogen, electrochemistry, Fuel cell, electrolysis, heat transfer, fluid flow, two-phase, porous media, etc.
Email: abel.chuang@ucmerced.edu
Jeanette Cobian- Iniguez
Use of experiments to gain fundamental understanding of wildfire behavior, remote sensing data to derive data driven models of regional wildfire behavior as well as in science communications and outreach
Email: jcobian3@ucmerced.edu
gerardo diaz
Renewable energy conversion; dynamic simulation and control of thermal systems; biomass gasification; thermal and non-thermal plasma applications to energy generation and water conservation; optimization of thermal systems; solar thermal
Email: gdiaz@ucmerced.edu
reza ehsani
Automation, robotics, and intelligent machines for agriculture; developing sensors and systems with applications in agriculture, food industry; precision agriculture and horticulture, mechanization and mechanical harvesting systems
Email: rehsani@ucmerced.edu
sachin goyal
Computational dynamics, mechanics, and controls with biomechanical applications such as human biomechanics in various pathological conditions and modeling the deformations of biological filaments.
Email: sachin.goyal@ucmerced.edu
Alejandro Gutierrez
Linear and non-linear modeling of solids with applications to the mechanical and civil works industry, computer-aided-engineering, structural design, experimental testing, data analysis, and engineering programming
Email: agutierrez78@ucmerced.edu
Marcus lee
STEM pedagogy; feedback and assessment methods for developing critical thinking; computational fluid dynamics; unsteady aerodynamics
Email: mlee406@ucmerced.edu
min hwan lee
Electrochemical energy conversion and storage, fuel cells, electrocatalysis, nanoscale materials engineering
Email: mlee49@ucmerced.edu
yanbao ma
Heat transfer, metallic additive manufacturing, water and energy technologies, and X-ray technologies
Email: yma5@ucmerced.edu
ashlie martini
Tribology (friction, wear and lubrication) and phenomena associated with sliding interfaces and their mechanisms from atomic- to macro-scale; wear due to surface contact and sliding; use of solid coatings to minimize friction and wear in extreme environments; the role of lubricants and lubricant additives in interface efficiency and performance
Email: amartini@ucmerced.edu
michael modest (emeritus)
Radiative Heat Transfer (both experimentally and theoretically); Laser Machining of Ceramics (both experimentally and theoretically)
Email: mmodest@ucmerced.edu
james palko
Multiphase heat transfer and electrokinetic transport in porous media; modeling heat transfer and flow in additive manufacturing; thermal management of power electronics and mobile devices; electrochemical energy storage; water purification technologies
Email: jpalko@ucmerced.edu
Ricardo Pinto de Castro
Zero-emission vehicles; control and optimization; power conversion and energy management; energy storage systems; electric and robotic vehicles; safe and resilient motion control
Email: rpintodecastro@ucmerced.edu
Debora Lyn Porter
Bioinspired design; characterization of natural and advanced materials; advanced manufacturing of biomimetic materials; structure-property relationships in natural materials
Email: deboralynporter@ucmerced.edu
Brandon Stark
Unmanned aerial systems safety, control, unmanned vehicles
Email: bstark2@ucmerced.edu
jian-qiao sun
Vibrations; noise control; industrial automation; sensors; actuators; bio-mechanics and physical rehabilitation; building-energy-control systems; condition monitoring and diagnosis; energy harvesting; multi-objective optimization
Email: jsun3@ucmerced.edu