R. Danner Friend

R. Danner Friend, Ph.D., PE, joined the faculty of the David Crawford School of Engineering at Norwich University in 2003.

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Military Institute

M.S. in Engineering Mechanics, Clemson University

Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University

R. D. Friend, “Fostering Professional Practice Skills in a Redesigned Materials Science Course for Engineering Students,” 2016 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, New Orleans, LA, (June 2016).

R. D. Friend and J. Beneat, "Development of Aerospace Engineering-Focused Undergraduate Research at a Small University: Accomplishments and Lessons Learned," Proceedings of the 2013 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Atlanta, GA, (June 23 - 26, 2013).

Danner Friend worked as a Senior Engineer for Applied Research Associates prior to coming to Norwich University in 2003. He has served as Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Norwich since 2017. He teaches undergraduate engineering courses in the areas of Computer Aided Design and Analysis, Engineering Design, and Innovative Engineering.  He enjoys mentoring undergraduate students in aerospace-related research and design projects. Some examples of the projects have included robotic mining on the surface of the Moon and Mars, autonomous navigation of micro-space vehicles, and design of experiments for testing new materials for spacecraft thermal protection systems. He has conducted educational research on innovative design and creativity in engineering education. He is a licensed Professional Engineer.