This is a past event.

MAE Graduate Seminar Speaker Series

proudly presents

Jeff Dusek, PhD

Associate Professor of Engineering
Baldwin Wallace University

Abstract

Marine energy, or the utilization of waves, currents, and temperature and salinity gradients for power generation, has tremendous potential for contributing to the rising energy needs of the United States. This opportunity is especially true in the Midwest region where the Great Lakes represent an untapped energy resource that could diversify and strengthen the region’s energy generation portfolio. Despite this vast natural resource, the marine energy industry remains in the early stage of development in the United States due to technical challenges and socioeconomic considerations. At Baldwin Wallace University (BW), undergraduate students are partnering with community stakeholders in the Greater Cleveland area to explore Blue Economy applications and the potential of marine energy in Lake Erie through courses, undergraduate research, and Engineering Capstone projects. In his seminar, Dr. Jeff Dusek will introduce foundational concepts in marine energy and the Blue Economy and will outline the unique challenges encountered when developing wave energy devices for Lake Erie. He will share the work of the BW Marine Energy Collegiate Competition team and describe ongoing efforts to raise awareness and knowledge of marine energy in Northeast Ohio through community outreach and advocacy. Finally, he will describe his career path to focusing on student-centered undergraduate teaching and research and his experience developing marine science and engineering opportunities in the new engineering program at Baldwin Wallace University.

Bio

Dr. Jeff Dusek is an Associate Professor of Engineering at Baldwin Wallace University (BW) in Berea, Ohio, where he leads the Laboratory for Adaptation, Inclusion, and Robotics (LAIR) and is the faculty advisor for the BW Marine Energy Collegiate Competition team. He focuses on interdisciplinary undergraduate research in the broad areas of marine robotics, marine energy, and assistive/adaptive technology. Dr. Duseks primary teaching interests are robotics, fluid mechanics, hydrodynamics, sensing and measurement, and user-oriented design. In his teaching, Dusek strives to build intuition around foundational engineering concepts using exploration, experimentation, and real-world examples. Through his research and teaching, he has collaborated with organizations including MIT and Ohio Sea Grant, the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN), Toyota of North America, the Cleveland Water Alliance, and the US Department of Energy. Prior to joining BW, Dusek spent five years at the Olin College of Engineering as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering. At Olin, he contributed to the development of the foundational Quantitative Engineering Analysis stream of courses which presented students with an integrated approach to core concepts in mathematics, physics, and engineering. He also led initiatives to increase access to undergraduate research opportunities and coached the Olin College and Wellesley College sailing teams. Before Olin, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Self-Organizing Systems Research Lab at Harvard University investigating underwater robotic swarming under the guidance of Radhika Nagpal. He is a Cleveland native, avid sailor, and is motivated by bringing his experiences in engineering education and research back to his hometown.

Invited by: Shangyan Zou