Professor honored for teaching/research efforts

Michael Keefe, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has been named Delaware Engineer of the Year.

2:33 p.m., March 2, 2005--Michael Keefe, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has been named 2004 Delaware Engineer of the Year by the Delaware Engineering Society.

With a membership of 250, the Delaware Engineering Society, is affiliated with the National Society of Professional Engineers, which has more than 53,000 members.

The award, which was presented during the society’s 2005 Engineer’s Week Banquet, Thursday, Feb. 24, at the DuPont Country Club, in Wilmington, honors Keefe for his contributions to the engineering profession as a teacher, researcher, consultant and innovator.

Keefe, who also serves as associate chairperson for undergraduate education in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, said that he was surprised to receive the award.

“Although we do help educate future engineers, academics are not often seen as having much of a professional impact on students,” Keefe said. “It’s nice to be recognized for my interest in working with undergraduates.”

Thomas Buchanan, chairperson of mechanical engineering, also said that it is significant that the award, usually presented to an individual involved in the direct application of engineering to the general public, was given to a member of the teaching profession.

“The Delaware Engineer of the Year Award is a very prestigious award,” Buchanan said. “We are honored to have one of our own, Michael Keefe, chosen for this award.”

Keefe, who graduated from the University of Notre Dame summa cum laude with a degree in mathematics, also holds master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering, both from the University of Minnesota.

After working at Honeywell as a design engineer while earning his doctorate, Keefe joined the UD faculty as an associate professor of mechanical engineering in 1985. His early research focused on a methodology to model soft tissue three-dimensionally to aid in reconstructive surgery. Keefe’s work now concerns three-dimensional modeling of fabrics and engineered structures made from fabrics with applications ranging from personal protection to structures for use in outer space.

“My current research involves modeling dynamic systems, specifically analyzing and modeling the three-dimensional aspects of flexible structures made with fabrics,” Keefe said. “I also have worked in rapid prototyping and rapid tooling, as well as mechanisms.”

Keefe said that mechanical engineering professionals make contributions in many fields, including academically within the discipline through teaching and research efforts, as well as in the areas of technology and industry.

“Mechanical engineers work from the basic to the component, through the systems level,” Keefe said. “At UD, we have scientists in our department who are trying to understand nanomaterials and how cartilage works, to individuals who can build flying or swimming robots.”

An active member of the Delaware Engineering Society and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Keefe has served on the boards of both organizations. He also has served as adviser to UD student chapters of ASME and the Society of Automotive Engineering, and was president of the UD Faculty Senate for the 1998-99 academic year.

Besides his contributions as a researcher and innovator in his field, Keefe has been recognized by the Delaware Engineering Society for instilling his graduate and undergraduate students with the importance of research involvement and professional development.

“Since I chose to develop my career at a university, the most enjoyable part for me has been working with students,” Keefe said. “I enjoy their enthusiasm and watching them grasp some aspect of the work.”

Article by Jerry Rhodes
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson

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