Focus Areas

Students conduct dissertation research in one of seven research focus areas. Focus areas draw on faculty resources throughout the college.

On this page:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Industrial and Human Factors Engineering
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Biomedical Engineering

 This focus area prepares students for the increasing demand for cutting-edge medical equipment, devices, and therapeutic approaches, by applying the principles of engineering and applied science to problems in biology and medicine, understanding the dynamics of living systems, and developing biomedical systems, devices, and alternative therapies for chronic conditions such as organ failure, severe tissue damage. The focus area in biomedical engineering emphasizes biomedical imaging, biomechanics, tissue engineering, nanomedicine, human-computer interaction, neuroscience, and neuroengineering. This joining of the diverse scientific fields is complemented by strong academic and research collaboration with other Wright State departments and collaborating institutions.

Focus Area Chair: Sherif Elbasiouny, Ph.D.
 

Industrial and Human Factors Engineering

This focus area is interdisciplinary in nature and contributes to societal needs by applying principles, methods, and tools from a wide area of applications such as industrial & systems engineering, human factors engineering, human-computer interaction, neuroengineering, cognitive sciences & psychology, systems physiology, engineering education, healthcare, and computation. 

Focus Area Chair: Hugh Salehi, Ph.D.
 

Materials Science and Engineering

Engineering applications call for materials with specific sets of properties, which are determined by material structure, composition, and processing history. At the doctorate level, relevant length scales can range from nanometers for advanced materials, to microscopic for critical microstructural concerns, up to the macroscopic for traditional engineering. Faculty in the Materials focus area perform research in the areas of design and development of metallic, ceramic, and polymeric materials and their composites, nanoscale characterization and processing, energy-related materials and devices, theoretical modeling and simulation, the study of chemical and mechanical effects at interfaces, enhanced natural and bio-geo inspired solids, and bio-medical materials.

Focus area chair: Amir Farajian, Ph.D.
 

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The study of mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE) covers a wide range of topics: thermal fluids sciences. solid mechanics, design and optimization,  computational modeling, control sensors and control, and renewable energy.

Focus area chair: Nathan Klingbeil, Ph.D.