Faculty and Staff (Updated Spring 2024)
Trevor Harding | Department Chair & Professor
Email: tharding@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-7163
Office: Building 41A, Room 230 (inside the MATE Office 41A-229)
Office Hours:
Monday: 1-2PM
Thursday: 10-12PM
Research & Teaching Interests: Dr. Harding's research focuses on the development of polymers (a.k.a. plastics) that are either renewable, or biodegradable, or both, and are known as biopolymers. He works alongside his students to understand how nanomaterials can be used to increase the strength, stability and degradability of biopolymers such as chitosan (which is produced from waste shrimp shells) and PHBV (which we grow by feeding waste streams to bacteria). In addition, Dr. Harding works with colleagues around the United States on the development of innovative teaching practices. Currently he is developing methods of helping engineering students learn habits of reflection that can be beneficial in their professional formation as engineers and as human beings. Dr. Harding teaches a wide range of courses including introductory materials engineering, polymers, biopolymers, nanocomposites, material selection, design for sustainability, and failure of materials.
Eric Beaton | Instructional Technician & Lecturer
Email: erbeaton@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-2518 | Cell: (805) 704-2897
Office: Building 41B, Room 142
Office Hours:
Tuesdays: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Roger Benham | Lecturer
Email: rbenham@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-1270
Office: Building 92M, Room A105
Office Hours:
TBD
Research and Teaching Interests: My area of specialty is Corrosion Engineering. This is my fourth year of teaching Mate 425 Corrosion Engineering at Cal Poly. I have 38 years of experience working in the field of corrosion engineering.
Karla Carichner | Lecturer
Email: kcarichn@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-1180
Office: Building 92M, Room A103
Office Hours:
Not teaching for MATE this quarter
Research & Teaching Interests: Basic introduction to materials, ceramics/glass, product design.
Brian Davis | Lecturer
Email: bdavis83@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-5446
Office: Building 92M, Room A106
Office Hours:
TBD
Research & Teaching Interests: Strength of materials topics for application-specific ceramics and glasses. Solid mechanics, fracture mechanics, and the application of finite element analysis (FEA) to mechanical test characterization. Improving student engagement with professional development activities and philanthropic extra-curriculars.
Aniruddha Dive | Lecturer
Email: adive@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-5446
Office: Building 92M, Room A106
Office Hours:
Monday - 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, Wednesday - 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm
Research & Teaching Interests:
Accelerated design of functional energy materials especially for energy storage technologies (specifically for lithium and sodium-ion batteries) using novel computational modeling techniques in conjunction with machine learning approaches. Employing atomistic modeling simulations to study processability and interfacial degradation in solid-state batteries. Integrating atomistic modeling and machine learning driven materials design approaches throughout MATE curriculum.
Joel Galos | Professor
Email: jgalos@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-6426
Office: Building 41A, Room 224
Office Hours:
Wednesdays: 12pm - 3pm
And by appointment.
Research & Teaching Interests: The design, characterization, and optimization of multifunctional engineering materials, especially polymer composites. Additive manufacturing (3D printing) of polymers and fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Materials selection for mechanical design and environmental sustainability.
Cassi Goldsmith | Administrative Coordinator
Email: cmgoldsm@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-2568
Office: Building 41A, Room 229
Office Hours:
Mondays - Fridays: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Peter Huang | Lecturer
Email: phuang20@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-2405
Office: Building 192, Room 103
Office Hours:
TBD
Research & Teaching Interests: electronic and advanced semiconductor material design and processing.
Nicole Johnson-Glauch | Lecturer
Email: njohns66@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-6634 Ext. 2
Office: Building 41A, Room 225
Office Hours:
MW 2-3 PM and TR 9-10 AM.
No office hours for the first two weeks of the quarter.
Research & Teaching Interests: Electronic materials and thermodynamics. Improving student learning from visual representations and promoting mental health across the curriculum.
Seamus Jones | Professor
Email: sjones97@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-0731
Office: Building 41A, Room 221
Office Hours:
TBD
Research & Teaching Interests: Dr. Jones's work primarily focuses on the design of ionic fluids including the design of ionic liquids, polymeric ionic liquids, and water-soluble organic compounds that undergo reversible oxidation and reduction reactions (so-called 'redoxolytes'). He has interest in translating these materials into industrial processes in energy storage and greenhouse gas capture. Dr. Jones' teaching interests include thermodynamics, transport, polymer science, and textile engineering.
Mohsen Kivy | Professor
Email: mbeyrama@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-1537
Office: Building 41A, Room 226
Office Hours:
Mondays 1-2:50 pm and Wednesdays 2-3:50 pm
Research & Teaching Interests: Developing various materials (e.g. alloys and ceramics) by studying their microstructures and properties using multiscale computational materials engineering. Integrating modeling and simulation approaches throughout MATE curriculum.
Christine Kurtz | Lecturer
Email: cghent@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-6634
Office: Building 41A, Room 225
Office Hours:
Thursday 11-12
Research & Teaching Interests: Professor Kurtz has a background as an Automotive Reseach and Development Engineer focusing on Noise and Vibration.
Jean Lee | Professor
Email: jlee473@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-6571
Office: Building 13, Room 227
Office Hours:
MW 5:40 pm – 6:30 pm via Zoom: https://calpoly.zoom.us/j/81048061722
T 12:15 pm – 2:00 pm in the Bldg. 13 courtyard (In case of inclement weather - meaning the temperature is below 19ºC or there is a greater than 25% chance of rain - these office hours will be via Zoom using the same link as above)
Research & Teaching Interests:
Eric Paton | Lecturer
Email: enpaton@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-5229
Office: Building 92M, Room A110
Office Hours:
TBD
Research & Teaching Interests: Eric received the B.Sc. engineering degree from Cal Poly University, his M.Sc. degree from Purdue University, and his M.B.A from San Jose State University. Eric was a semiconductor process development engineer at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) where he authored over 100 patents and 22 publications. He founded numerous companies including a commercial equipment leasing firm where he originated, maintained and held a $3 million portfolio. He later created FlyThisSim, which grew into the worlds largest manufacturer of BATD FAA approved flight simulators. Eric is now a lecturer in the school of engineering for MATE and AERO departments at Cal Poly University. Eric owns two aircraft: a Cirrus SR20 and a Cessna 150. He is a commercial multi-engine CFII instructor / pilot with 1800 hours flying over the previous 30 years. Research interests: Semiconductor process, Aircraft and spacecraft structures, flight instruction. Current teaching interests: Aero structures, experimental stress analysis, fixed wing pilot certification.
Ryan Smith | Lecturer
Email: rsmith91@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-1270
Office: Building 92M, Room A105
Office Hours:
TBD
Research & Teaching Interests: Alloy Development, Welding Process Development, Computational Thermodynamics, Level-Set FEA, In-situ X-ray diffraction, Electrochemical deposition and surface treatment.
Thale Smith | Professor
Email: tsmith50@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-0699
Office: Building 41A, Room 227
Office Hours:
Mon/Wed - 3:40 to 4:30 pm
Tue/Thu - 12:40 to 1:30 pm
Research & Teaching Interests:
Liz Thompson | Professor
Email: lschleme@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-2183
Office: Building 13, Room 263A
Office Hours:
Research & Teaching Interests: Dr. Lizabeth Thompson is a professor in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and currently the Director of General Engineering Program. She has been at Cal Poly for nearly 30 years and has held various positions on campus including Co-Director of LAES, Director of Women’s Engineering Programs, and CENG Associate Dean. Her research is in Engineering Education, particularly equitable classroom practices, integrated learning, and institutional change. Liz spent the 2019-20 academic year at Cal State LA where she taught and collaborated on research related to equity and social justice. With her colleagues at Cal State LA, she recently received an NSF grant called Eco-STEM which aims to transform STEM education using an asset-based ecosystem model. Specifically, the Eco-STEM project focuses on shifting the metaphor in STEM education from a factory model to an ecosystem model. This Ecosystem model aspires towards an organic and healthy environment that nurtures students, faculty, and staff to become individuals fulfilled professionally and personally. She is also a co-advisor to Engineers Without Borders and Critical Global Engagement at Cal Poly.
Kelly Hoang | Student Assistant
Email: khoang24@calpoly.edu
Office: Building 41A, Room 229
Office Hours:
Lauren Walker | Student Assistant
Email: lwalke18@calpoly.edu
Office: Building 41A, Room 229
Office Hours:
Lizbeth Ortiz | Student Assistant
Email: lortiz12@calpoly.edu
Office: Building 41A, Room 229
Office Hours:
Tasman Loutfi | Student Assistant
Email: tloutfi@calpoly.edu
Office: Building 41A, Room 229
Office Hours:
