Faculty | Mechanical Engineering | SIU

Ph.D. University of South Carolina, 1982

Dr. Tsuchin “Philip” Chu is a senior Professor in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering. Dr. Chu has conducted research for over 30 years in areas such as non-destructive evaluation (NDE), biomedical engineering, experimental mechanics, computer-aided design, manufacturing, and engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE), finite element analysis (FEA), sensors and instrumentation. He is a pioneer in the area of digital image correlation (DIC) and at the cutting edge of research in NDE and biomechanics. He was a faculty member of Polytechnic University in New York before he joined SIUC in 1990 He has more than 80 peer-reviewed journal publications and conference proceedings and over $2 M in grants from NASA, Boeing, US Air Force, IBM, Illinois Clean Coal Institute, etc. Dr. Chu advised more than 40 graduate students. 

PhD, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2019

Dr. Dong specializes in in the field of vibration theory and utilizes advanced computational methods including machine learning to advance vibration theory and develop new models the explain the phenomena.

Ph.D. Syracuse University, 2020

Dr. Eslamiat specializes in nonlinear dynamics and control, as well as estimation for autonomous systems. He is motivated to facilitate safe integration of autonomous systems to human lives, which is done by demonstrating capabilities of such systems through analytical and experimental research.

Ph.D. University of Michigan, 1995

Dr. Asghar Esmaeeli is an expert in large scale computations of multiphase flows. He is one of the key contributors of the immersed boundary technique that was developed in the University of Michigan in early nineties and gained international reputation for its accuracy and robustness in solving complex multiphase flow problems. Dr. Esmaeeli’s research covers a wide range of problems including boiling phenomena, bubbly flows, and electrohydrodynamics. He is a fellow of ASME, an associate fellow of AIAA, and a member of editorial boards of several thermal/fluids journals.

Ph.D. TU Ostrava, 1983

Dr. Peter Filip is a Professor in the MAME at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He has contributed to the understanding of the relationship between the structure and properties of metals, ceramics, composite materials, pioneering work in the development and optimization of brake linings, and smart implant materials. He has developed analytical procedures and friction materials’ design optimization tools based on the understanding of mechanisms applied.

Ph.D. University of California, Berkley, 1985

Dr. Harpalani specializes in ventilation, insitu mining systems. He has obtained his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkley, in 1985.

Ph.D. Hanyang University, 2012

Dr. Sangjin Jung is an Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering. He has conducted research spanning the fields of additive manufacturing and product design. Prior to his current position, he was a Research Scientist in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and he developed new computational design methods for metal additive manufacturing to optimize the consolidation of parts in an assembly system and redesign the system.

Ph.D. Missouri University Science and Technology, 1989

Dr. Rasit Koc is a Professor of the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering (MAME) at SIUC. Before coming to SIUC, Dr. Koc was a Senior Engineer at U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, where he conducted research in the areas of Processing and Characterization of Advanced Ceramic Materials and Composites. In 1995, his work on synthesizing nano-size SiC materials received R&D 100 award. During his graduate studies, he worked in cooperation with Dr. Harlan U. Anderson, in the areas of ceramic materials for Fuel Cells. Koc has authored/coauthored more than 90 papers and holds 2 U.S. patents. He served as the American Ceramic Society Rocky Mountain Chapter treasurer and he was an associate editor of the journal for 5 years.

Ph.D. The Ohio State University, 2001

Dr. Mathias specializes in energy conservation and management as well as experimental testing of non-destructive evaluation systems and thermodynamic cycles.

Ph.D. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2001

Dr. Mondal’s research is primarily directed towards environmentally benign process development with current focus on carbon dioxide reduction and materials to enable alternative energy generation options.  His research encompasses development of a clean coal technology (1 patent pending), development of enhanced reactivity CO₂ capture agents, development of novel catalysts for carbon dioxide fixation into chemicals and coal to liquid fuels ( 1 patent disclosure), development of materials for environmental remediation, development of low temperature hydrogenation processes (1 patent), supercritical processing, corrosion resistant materials, nanomaterials, energy systems analysis and other issues related to finding engineering solutions to improve the quality of life.

Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2015

Dr. Sabrina Nilufar is an Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering. Her research focuses on Advanced Materials, Covetics, Reinforced Composite Materials, and Additive Manufacturing.

Ph.D. Mississippi State University

Dr. Nsofor is a full professor in the School. His research is mainly on advanced energy systems including analysis, storage, utilization and recovery. He has been funded by a variety of agencies on projects involving experimental investigations and computer modeling. He teaches related courses, has authored several peer-reviewed papers with numerous citations, and advised and graduated many masters and doctoral students. He is a reviewer for reputable journals that include International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Energy Conversion and Management, Applied Energy and AppliedThermal Engineering, He is a Senior Member of AIAA and a member of ASME, ASHRAE, ASEE and ASTFE.

Ph.D. California Institute of Technology, 2004

Dr. Geoff Swift is an Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering (MAME) at SIUC. Before joining the MAME faculty, Dr. Swift was a Materials Scientist at EaglePicher Technologies in Joplin, Missouri, where he conducted research into advanced materials for Thermal Batteries. His work resulted in five patents to date (Fall 2020).