RIT - Department of Mechanical Engineering | People | Faculty

Robert J Stevens Rob Stevens

Assistant Professor
Phone: 585-475-2153
E-mail: rjseme@rit.edu
Office: 2167 Gleason

Biography: Rob Stevens is an assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department at RIT starting in the fall of 2005. He received a BS with distinctions in Engineering from Swarthmore College in 1992. From 1992 through 1995, Rob was involved with a series of research projects in the field of building science in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Rob later received his masters in Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina State University, where he conducted research on a novel approach to solar water pasteurization. Upon completion of his degree, Rob managed the research and solar thermal programs at the NC Solar Center from 1998-2001. While at NCSU, Rob also taught courses in heat transfer and solar energy systems.

Rob returned to graduate school in the fall of 2001 as an NSF IGERT fellow and completed his doctorate in the summer of 2005 in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Virginia. At UVA, he conducted research in the areas of microscale heat transfer, ultrashort-pulsed laser heating, and characterization of microscale thermal properties of thin films and interfaces. His graduate work focused on using the transient thermoreflectance technique to measure thermal boundary resistances at room temperatures. He also developed molecular dynamic experiments to systematically explore interface thermal transport. Understanding thermal boundary resistance is critical for thermal management of superlattice and nanoscale structures, where interface effects can dominate overall thermal resistances. Specific applications where interface thermal resistances are currently being considered are thermoelectrics, thin-film high temperature superconductors, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers, and optical data storage media. As nanotechnologies take more of a foothold, more applications are sure to follow.

Rob plans to expand his molecular dynamics to model thermal transport in superlattice and nanocomposite materials with a special focus on thermoelectric applications. Thermoelectric devices are potentially valuable for thermal management of microelectronic devices, infrared detector to reduce thermal noise, and laser diodes. Thermoelectrics are also being considered for application for portable power generation applications and waste or low-grade heat power generation.

With the advent of nanotechnologies, we are able to engineer materials with desired thermal properties. In addition to developing the theory and methods to fabricate novel materials, there needs to be improvements in thermal property measuring techniques. For this reason, Rob also plans to develop capabilities at RIT to measure thermal conductance of dielectric thin films, nanocomposites, and superlattices by the thermoreflectance technique using high energy pulsed lasers.

In addition to his microscale heat transfer research, Rob will be assisting in the development of the department’s energy and environment option. Because one of Rob’s passions lies in energy engineering, especially alternative energy, he is always interested in working with students and industry on energy research/projects.

Rob moved to Pittsford with his wife, Katja, and two daughters, Kayla and Mina during the summer of 2005. When Rob is not teaching or researching, he enjoys taking long hikes (soon to be cross-country skiing), running, orienteering, camping, geocaching, and most importantly just being a dad.