Why did you become an engineer?

In high school I became involved with hydroplane racing. I built some boats from plans and rebuilt motors. These boat designs had evolved over decades; I thought there should be a better way and maybe an engineering degree would help to find it. Eventually I did get back to boats, but not in the way I expected.

Why did you choose to go into academia?

Early in my career I worked on some very exciting projects, but eventually I became bored. I realized I enjoyed learning and thought as a professor that would be a lifelong experience. That part proved to be correct. I also thought that with summers off I could fish, race boats and generally be a beach bum which was not exactly the case! Another factor was that in college and graduate school I observed that most of the engineering professors I admired were also consultants or had an interest in some Hi-Tech business. I liked the idea that I could practice engineering and be in a learning environment at the same time.

What do you like best (in reference to the above question)?

For me, the most enjoyable part of my career is the joint learning experience I have with my students. This is an obvious outcome of research collaborations with graduate students, but there is hardly a course that I teach, graduate or undergraduate, and regardless of how often I have taught it, in which I don’t learn something. As it turns out, I also get to do engineering in a company that I co-founded. I especially enjoy the formative stage of a projective; figuring out appropriate performance goals and devising strategies to achieve them.

Explain your area of research (in layman’s terms).

I deal with systems - specifically, electric power systems, aircraft, ground vehicles, spacecraft, robots, etc. I analyze their performance, design control systems for them, investigate their safety and reliability, and design supervisory systems for fault detection and system reconfiguration among other things. I try to find new analysis and design approaches for doing these things and I develop computational tools, numerical and symbolic, to support them. Current projects include the development of optimal reconfiguration strategies for the integrated power systems to be found in the Navy’s next generation warships, and the development of control systems for upset prevention and recovery as part of NASA’s aviation safety program.

The NASA AirSTAR facility includes a family of 5.5% dynamically scaled transports that will be used to validate upset prevention and recovery strategies (pictured,on far left).

Who was your favorite teacher/professor and why?

This is a hard one because so many people have been important to me. Life was generally fun and games until my senior year in high school (Olney High, Philadelphia) when I ran into Wolf Goldberg who taught physics. He changed my life. As an undergraduate at Drexel, Les Stradling’s IC Engines – so that’s what thermodynamics is all about – and Pete Chou’s compressible fluid flow – mathematics begins to speak to me – were highlights. At MIT, Wally Vander Velde (my first real control theory course) and J. P. Den Hartog (vibrations) became role models. At Penn, Herb Callen (thermodynamics and statistical mechanics), Bob Schriefer (quantum mechanics) and David Shen (adaptive control systems and my thesis advisor) are all unforgettable.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

I know this will sound trite, but my father and two uncles. They convinced me that I could do anything.

What was your favorite class (and why)?

I suppose Wally Vander Velde’s ‘Statistical Theory of Linear Control Systems.’ In part, because he is the consummate teacher, but also because the course challenged all of my preconceptions about how design problems could be formulated and solved. It connected me with profound ideas that were entirely new to me.

What do you like to do to relax? What are your hobbies?

Give me a Caribbean beach or a Maine lake to relax. I love a fine car and a highway, great wine, theatre, and a good book.

Favorite book?

This year, Saturday by Ian McEwan – My wife Lynne made me read it. I loved it.

Favorite song?

Almost anything by Van Morrison – this year: ‘Just like Greta.’ I like Dr. John, Diane Schuur – especially late at night with a glass of cognac. Classical on a long drive (I do that a lot) – Joshua Bell’s new release of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole is a favorite.

Favorite movie?

This year: Babel, much to my surprise.

Any advice for new students?

Keep up with your classes – don’t fall behind. Attend class. Keep a good set of notes. Find a second reference book. Schedule some time for yourself each week.