Scott A. Smith, PhD

Scott A. Smith, PhD, joined the mechanical engineering faculty in the David Crawford School of Engineering in 2020 after graduating with his doctorate.

Professor Smith is passionate about teaching students about the phenomena engineers can come across to the next generations of engineers. He believes hands-on learning is the best foundation for any engineer’s career. It allows the students to visualize the concepts taught in lectures and make decisions based on their experiences. His area of focus is Dynamics/ Vibrations of systems and Experimentation.

During the process of earning his doctorate, he worked at Sandia National Laboratories for approximately two years. During his time at Sandia, he performed research on bolted joint dynamics, failure detection of small components, and linear and nonlinear vibrations of structures.

Doctor of Philosophy, Rice University (2020)
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, UMBC (2015)
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Wilkes University (2010)

Professor Smith's research interests are in the best practices for Nonlinear Vibration Testing, effects of environmental dynamics on nonlinear responses, and experimental boundary conditions that best match environmental conditions.

ME 381 Mechanical Engineering lab 1 (Instrumentations)
ME 435 Mechanical Control Systems
ME 100 Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Programming

Smith, S.A., Brake, M.R.W., and Schwingshackl, C.W. “On the Characterization of
Nonlinearities in Assembled Structures.” ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics.
October 2020; 142(5).

Balaji, N.N., Smith, S.A., and Brake, M.R.W. “Evolution of the dynamics of jointed
structures over prolonged testing.” Proceeding of the Fortieth International Modal
Analysis Conference, 2022; Orlando, FL.

Shu, H., Smith, S.A., and Brake, M.R.W. “The Influence of Additively Manufactured
Nonlinearities on the Dynamic Response of Assembled Structures.” ASME Journal of
Vibration and Acoustics. February 2020; 142(1).