Faculty

Dr. Spencer Smith, Chair, PACE Committee

Director, Engineering 1 Program
Associate Professor, Computing and Software

Current research areas include: Kinetics and Thermodynamics of High Temperature Reactions in Materials Processing and Service.

Dr. Dan Centea

Program Chair, Automotive and Vehicle Technology
Assistant Professor, McMaster-Mohawk Bachelor of Technology Partnership (B.Tech.)

Research and teaching areas include automotive engineering, computer aided design, manufacturing, mechanics, machine design, machine dynamics, multi-body dynamics, modelling and simulation, numerical analysis, applied mathematics, thermo fluids, and programming.

Dr. Tom Doyle

Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Technical research interests include human-machine interfacing, embedded systems, signal processing, informatics, and machine learning for the augmentation, rehabilitation, and enhancement of human attributes. For pedagogical research, I am focussed on enhancing engineering student engagement and improving academic integrity verification methods. PACE activity includes running a first year engineering Cornerstone dissection and modelling project that concludes with a PACE course competition.

PACE activity includes running a first year engineering Cornerstone dissection and modelling project that concludes with a PACE course competition.

Dr. Robert Fleisig

Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

My research interests lie in the field of engineering design, particularly with respect to the early stages of the product design process. My goal is to empower the design team with practical methodologies, scientific knowledge, and information technologies to aid them in bringing innovative products to market faster. My main areas of interest are in Computer Aided Industrial Design (CAID), product visualization and graphics, decision-based design, and design pedagogy.

Dr. Saeid Habibi

Professor and Chair, Mechanical Engineering

Research interests include:  Fluid Power and Hydraulics, State and Parameter Estimation, Variable Structure Systems Theory, Intelligent and Multivariable Control, Actuation Systems, Design Optimization, Fault Detection and Diagnosis.  Applied areas of research involves: Aerospace, Robotics, Micro/Nano Precision Actuation, Water Distribution System (Energy Optimization and Leak Detection), Sensors for Water Quality Determination, Automotive.

Dr. Vladimir Mahalec

Professor, Chemical Engineering

Director, Centre for Engineering Design
Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice

Member of the McMaster Advanced Control Consortium (MACC)

Research interests in software engineering and application design, development, and implementation (advanced process control, process engineering and design, planning, scheduling, plant optimization, feedstock selection, trading and logistics). Expertise in value chain optimization in petroleum, petrochemicals, and other process industries.

Dr. Allan Spence

Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Research interests are centred in dimensional metrology, computer aided design, and manufacturing automation. A variety of Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) and CAD/CAM/CAE tools are used in the research. Currently available software includes MATLAB, AutoCAD and Mechanical Desktop, SDRC I-DEAS, MDI ADAMS, the ACIS solid modelling kernel, Origin CheckMate, and the Phar Lap ETS real-time kernel. Computer languages primarily used are Microsoft VisualC++ and VisualBASIC. Computing facilities include a variety of Pentium computers running Window NT 4.0, including Stereo Vision equipped Silicon Graphics 320 workstations.

Projects currently underway include sensor integration with an open architecture CMM motion controller, elevated temperature geometric error compensation, laser digitizing, and reverse engineering.