Robert A. Paxton

About Robert A. Paxton

Mechanical engineer with over a decade of teaching, industrial, and consulting experience. Extensive multidisciplinary knowledge across a broad range of scientific and engineering areas, significant research and development expertise, and project management experience. Project management/leadership experience over numerous undergraduate and graduate projects. Current research focus on vehicle crash dynamics, specifically with an aim to increasing crash survivability. Other research interests include biomechanics and forensic engineering. Teaching experience across a wide variety of subjects including engineering mechanics (statics & dynamics), fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, instrumentation & measurement, engineering fundamentals (ethics, sustainability etc.), design, programming (Arduino, MATLAB), and system modelling. Extensive experience with academic accreditation (eg. ABET/IPENZ) and quality assurance processes.Technical Skills & Abilities:Accelerated lifetime testing, Arduino, Basic electronics, C/C++, Cleanroom work, Electron-beam lithography, Engineering Mechanics, Forensic Engineering, Fluid Mechanics, Hydrophilic polymers, Liquid crystal display technologies, MATLAB, Mechanical prototype building, Nanofabrication, Numerical modelling/FEA, Optical testing, Research and Development, Project Management, SolidWorks, Teaching, Thermal Measurement & Analysis

Experience

1. Assistant Teaching Professor

   Portland State University

   Dec 2022 — Present · Portland, OR, US

   ME 120 Introduction to Engineering ME 122 Introduction to Design ME 321 Thermodynamics ME 411 Engineering Measurement and Instrumentation ME 491/492/493 Senior capstone project (3-course sequence): Senior Capstone Project Coordinator Faculty Advisor, Viking Motorsports student group Faculty Advisor, PSU chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) Order of the Engineer - Link 315 Coordinator

Education

• The University of Waikato

  Bachelor of Science, Physics

  1997 — 2000

• Auckland University of Technology

  Master of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

  2000 — 2002

• Auckland University of Technology

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Mechanical Engineering

  2002 — 2006

Skills

• Product Development
• Semiconductors
• Leadership
• Mathematics
• Public Speaking
• Management
• Program Management
• Microsoft Office
• Design of Experiments
• Manufacturing
• Finite Element Analysis
• Lecturing
• University Teaching
• Modeling
• Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (Fmea)
• Materials
• Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Mathematical Modeling
• Project Management
• Solidworks
• Python
• Thermodynamics
• Materials Science
• Product Design
• Teaching
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (Cfd)
• Research
• Engineering
• Writing
• Polymers
• Communication
• Computer-Aided Design (Cad)
• Fluid Mechanics
• Matlab
• Numerical Analysis
• R&D
• Scanning Electron Microscopy
• Programming
• Simulations