I am a junior faculty member in Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering at the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas. I have been a resident of Las Vegas since August, 2005. My work here at UNLV entails
two major thrusts: 1) research and teaching in the Mechanical Engineering Department in the traditional
area of thermal-fluids, and 2) development of UNLV's new Entertainment Engineering and Design program.
The entertainment industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and the creative use of
high technology is a must for today's entertainment designer. The Entertainment Engineering and Design program
at UNLV provides an academic path for students who are interested in pursuing the interdisciplinary fusion
of engineering and the fine arts that will allow them to succeed in the entertainment industry. Students
graduating from the program will be prepared to work in the design, production and operation of entertainment
devices, systems and venues. The students graduating from this program will be developing the infrastructure
of the next generation of entertainment system used throughout the globe.
The program focuses on building a strong foundation in design principles from the beginning of the student's
freshman year, emphasizing projects that involve hands-on fabrication and visual communication skills. As the
students progress through the program, they will have the opportunity to intern with entertainment companies
such as Cirque du Soleil and Wet Design. In addition, there will be opportunities for students to study at partner
design schools in Europe and Asia. As upper classmen, the students will focus on specific areas within the
entertainment industry such as 1) Structural Design and Rigging, 2) Automation and Motion Controls, 3) Biomechanics
and Animatronics, 4) Entertainment Venue Design, and 5) Advanced Visualization Techniques.
More detail on both my thermal-fluids work and my work in Entertainment Engineering and Design can be found
distributed throughout my website. If you have specific questions about what I am doing in either of these
areas, you can find all the necessary contact information also on this site. Email is always the best way to
contact me because I have a near patho-logical fear of talking on the phone.
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