RIT - Department of Mechanical Engineering | People | Faculty

Steven W Day Steven Day

Assistant Professor
Phone: 585-475-4738
E-mail: swdeme@rit.edu
Office: 2171 Gleason

Biography:
Dr. Steven Day joined the Mechanical Engineering department at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY in the fall of 2005 as an assistant professor. After completing a BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Virginia, Dr. Day attended the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Belgium and graduated from the program in Experimental and Applied Fluid Mechanics. He later returned to the University of Virginia and completed his PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Dr. Day’s research applies methods in experimental and computational fluid mechanics to a wide range of applied and biological flows. Past studies have included the analysis of naturally occurring biomechanical systems (multiple lung bifurcations), engineered systems (supersonic combustion engines), and the design and testing of biomedical devices (artificial heart pumps). During his first year of postgraduate research in Belgium, Dr. Day used a laser based system to study the flow through lung bifurcations. At the University of Virginia, his research focused on the development of a state-of-the-art implantable blood pump. On this project, he worked with a team of faculty and students from the Engineering and Medical Departments at UVa, as well as collaborators at the Utah Artificial Heart Institute at the University of Utah and industry partner MedQuest, Inc. His dissertation focused on experimental measurements of the pump performance and internal fluid dynamics and he contributed to published research on the computational modeling, electro/mechanical design, and physiological modeling of the device. Most recently, Dr. Day collaborated with a group of Evolutionary Biologists and experts in Biomechanics at the University of California, Davis on a series of studies involving the complex application of fluid dynamics to suction feeding in fish. All of these novel collaborative efforts effectively cross the traditional boundaries between the basic, medical, and applied sciences. At RIT, Dr. Day will continue work on these and is excited to contribute to new projects that involve the application of engineering methods to complex biological systems and bring together scientists from varied disciplines.

In the classroom and laboratory, Dr. Day strives to promote critical thinking, and is looking forward to teaching courses in fluids and thermal sciences, bioengineering, and experimental methods. Dr. Day has worked with both undergraduate and graduate students throughout his research career and plans to continue to involve students in his research and is eager to participate in senior design projects and guide independent student research.