Faculty

Our faculty conduct leading-edge research in areas of faculty expertise such as alternative energies, composite materials, rehabilitative health, cyber security, and fuel cell research and development.

Our 142 tenured and tenure-track faculty include 34 named professors, 6 National Academy of Engineering members, 55 NSF and DOD faculty career and young investigator award winners, and 19 University teaching award recipients.

Learn about our faculty expertise (by department):

>> Biomedical Engineering

>> Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

>> Civil and Environmental Engineering

>> Computer and Information Sciences

>> Electrical and Computer Engineering

>> Materials Science and Engineering

>> Mechanical Engineering

Focus Areas Include

Biopharmaceuticals

Innovations in the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals are founded on research in cell culture processes and bioreactors, high-end and scalable purification processes, product formulation and stability, drug delivery, and manufacturing.

Human Health

Efforts in human health focus on cancer, brain studies, biomaterials, and biomedical devices. Work in rehabilitation and biomechanics is resulting in new assistive devices and therapies, while an interdisciplinary collaboration is yielding novel sensor-based tools to train healthcare professionals.

Cybersecurity

Our education and workforce programs are preparing professionals to design, execute, and evaluate solutions that can stand up to today’s increasingly sophisticated attacks, while research is addressing topics including bio-cybersecurity, drone navigation, and financial services analytics.

Infrastructure

UD teams are addressing traditional infrastructure areas including transportation planning, bridge engineering, disaster planning and management, and railroad safety, as well as developing smart systems for autonomous and connected vehicles, traffic control, and structural health monitoring.

Data Science

Applications of our work in data science include precision agriculture, medical diagnostics, and bioinformatics. Pioneering work in HPC

research and education is complemented by the application of virtual reality technology to polar research and the development of better search engine training methods.

Manufacturing

Our researchers are pioneering modern approaches to additive manufacturing, catalysis, process intensification, biomanufacturing, chemical and commodity processing, and remote manufacturing. In addition, UD has a strong track record in the development of a science base for a broad range of advanced composites manufacturing processes.

Energy

The need for cleaner, more sustainable sources of energy to replace fossil fuels undergirds research on a broad range of technologies, including batteries and fuel cells, solar electric, vehicle-to-grid, biomass conversion, and thermoelectrics. UD’s campus bus system serves as a demonstration of hybrid fuel cell technology.

Materials

Advanced materials provide the foundation for a broad range of applications including defense, healthcare, automotive, aerospace, medical devices and photovoltaics. UD has expertise in fiber-reinforced composites and novel polymers including hydrogels for drug delivery and other therapies.

Environment

Our researchers are investigating contaminants in soil and groundwater, environmental biotechnology and nanotechnology, and water quality and wastewater engineering, as well as a range of coastal issues from rip currents and dune erosion to beach nourishment and replenishment.

Nanofabrication

UD’s Nanofabrication Facility enables teams of researchers to create devices smaller than a human hair, supporting scientific advances in device fabrication, nanoscale biomaterials, nanoscale soft and composite materials, nanotechnology and the environment, and nanoscale solid-state materials.