Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Faculty

The mechanical engineering department is composed of a mix of civilian and military faculty members. The strong civilian component (approx. 65%) is unique among service academies, and dates from the earliest days of the Naval School.

Officers typically rotate to the Academy for two or three year assignments, bringing fresh ideas and experiences from operational units of the Navy and Marine Corps. They can also explain how studies at the Academy apply in the fleet and the field. A cadre of officer faculty with doctorates adds another dimension to the teaching staff as Permanent Military Professors.

The Academy’s civilian faculty members give continuity to the educational program and form a core of professional scholarship and teaching experience. All career civilian faculty members have doctoral degrees, and many of them are leading scholars in their fields. Working together, our military and civilian instructors form one of the strongest and most dedicated teaching faculties of any college or university in the United States.

Permanent Faculty

Cody Brownell, Professor
John Burkhardt, Professor
Daniel Carne, Assistant Professor
Patrick Caton, Professor
Jonathan Cheng, Assistant Professor
Jim Cowart, Professor
Brian Earp, CAPT, Assistant Professor
Kaitlynn Fitzgerald, Assistant Professor
Steve Graham, Professor
Elizabeth Getto, Associate Professor
Len Hamilton, CAPT (ret), Professor
Peter Joyce, Professor
Michelle Koul, Professor
Ethan Lust, Assistant Professor
Luksa Luznik , Professor
Samar Malek, Associate Professor
Stephen McHale, LTC (ret), Associate Professor
Mark Murray, Professor
Joshua Radice, Professor
Emily Retzlaff, Associate Professor
Angel Rodriguez, CDR, Assistant Professor
Joel Schubbe, Professor
Jonathan Slager, CDR, Assistant Professor
Andrew Smith, Professor, Dept Chair
Ralph Volino, Professor
Ron Warzoha, Associate Professor

Instructors, Visiting, Adjunct and Research Professors

Linda Craugh, Adjunct Professor
Dan Jean, Adjunct Professor
Robert E. Fishman, Ph.D., P.E. McNeill Chair 
Kevin Burnett, LCDR
John Joyce, LCDR
Joseph Latta, LCDR
Lindsay Olsen, LCDR, Exec Assistant
Kathleen Schaidle, LCDR
Matt Schell, CDR, Assoc Chair
Nick Stovall-Kurtz, LT
John Vincent, LT
Jennifer Hedgecoth, LT
Rifat Rahman, LT
Jordan Rushing, LT
Zach Sermarini, LT
Shannon Wojciechowski, LT

Emeritus Faculty

Marty Cerza, Professor Emeritus
Karen Flack, Professor Emeritus
Steven Miner, Professor Emeritus
Angela Moran, Professor Emeritus
Pat Moran, Professor Emeritus
Colin Ratcliffe, Professor Emeritus
Keith Lindler, Professor Emeritus
Richard Link, Professor Emeritus
Jim Joyce, Professor Emeritus
Mark Harper, Professor Emeritus
Joe Gillerlain, Professor Emeritus