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ACTIVITIES OF AUTAR KAW

Courses: During the past few years, I have taught the following: Computational Methods, Elasticity, Programming Concepts for Mechanical Engineers, and Introduction to Composite Materials.

Engineering Education Research: We are developing complete web-based resources for an undergraduate course in Numerical Methods (read a paper on what it is all about).  Visit the NSF funded and award winning website http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu and read other papers on this activity.  We have assessed problem-centered approach in the course (read paper...), and incorporated low cost, low space, low setup time experiments in the Numerical Methods course (read short paper...).  I have started a blog on numerical methods topics to help STEM undergraduates.

Composite Materials Research: We are revisiting the push out test for composite materials to incorporate DOE analysis and going beyond the elastic limit.  We have answered a few other questions on mechanics of composite materials.  Does interphase modeling affect nanoindentation test results (Abstract)?  Is crack propagation in composite materials independent of fiber volume fraction (Abstract)?  How do we optimize specific strength of infused fiber reinforced sandwich composites (Abstract)?

Bridge Design Research: All research in bridge design is related to the trunnion-hub-girder (fulcrum) assembly of bascule bridges.  These assemblies are done using shrink fitting.  We are optimizing the thermal expansion of the hole in the girder and evaluating two different assembly procedures of trunnion-hub-girder assembly.  We have answered some important questions: How does geometry affect successful (no cracking) trunnion-hub-girder assembly procedure? (Abstract)? Does step-cooling make trunnion-hub-girder assembly procedure fail-safe? (Abstract)?

Textbooks: A widely used (adopted by 37 universities worldwide) textbook Mechanics of Composite Materials was published by CRC Press in 1997.  Second edition of this book was published in November 2005.   A text book on  Introduction to Matrix Algebra is available.   An E-book on Numerical Methods is available free of charge.

Publications: Titles of recent journal papers and some full length papers on teaching such as Seven Habits of Highly Effective Educators are available.   Read some of my newspaper columns including ones on Was the 2007 College Football Season Topsy-Turvy?, Archaic Graduation Benchmarks, Atkins Diet and Block the Block Tuition Proposal.

Software: Download software such as a spelling program for kids, get a glimpse of what PROMAL can do for your Mechanics of Composites course.  Download worksheets for Numerical Methods in variety of languages - Maple, MATHEMATICA, MathCAD, MATLAB.