Department of
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Faculty & Staff

Dr. Mohan D. Rao Visiting Professor Office: Bu Hasa Building, Room 2014 Phone: +971 2 607 5160 Fax: +971 2 607 5200 Email: mrao@pi.ac.ae

• Ph.D. Auburn University, 1988

Dr. Rao is a visiting professor on leave from Michigan Technological University, Michigan, USA, where he is a professor of Mechanical Engineering- Engineering Mechanics Department. Dr. Rao joined Michigan Tech in 1988 soon after his PhD from Auburn University. Additionally, he has worked at Ford Motor Company, Boeing Commercial airplanes and US Army Research Laboratory.   Dr. Rao has made significant educational and research contributions both inside and outside of Michigan Tech University over the past twenty five years. He is a Fellow of two major professional societies in the field—the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME), and the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE).  His areas of research include damping, acoustics, vibration and noise control with particular applications to automotive, aerospace, construction equipment, and snowmobile and appliance industries.  He has conducted both basic and applied research in different areas of acoustics and vibration ranging from analytical modeling of damping of materials, joints, and composite structures to experimental work involving small power tools to large scale machines (e.g. excavators, diesel engines) and structures. His research has been sponsored by State and Federal agencies and industries that include NASA, NSF, ARL, SFWMD, Ford, GM, Daimler-Chrysler, Caterpillar, TRW, Johnson Controls, John Deere, NIOSH, Arctic Cat, Polaris, and Volvo-Korea.  He has published over 100 technical papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings with over 300 citations.  He has mentored over 50 PhD and MS students and has served on various academic and professional committees in various capacities over the years. Dr. Rao has received the National Science Foundation Research Initiation Award and was honored by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center for his work on the damping of the Hubble Space Telescope truss system. In addition, he was recognized as a United Nations Development Program expert in Noise & Vibration Control.  He also serves as an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Vehicle Noise and Vibration.

HONORS and AWARDS

• Recipient of the 2008-09 Fulbright Scholar South East Asia award.
• Nominated for MTU Distinguished Faculty Service Award, April 2008.
• Nominated for INCE Outstanding Educator Award, Oct. 2008, Institute for Noise Control Engineering, USA.
• Elected to Grade of Fellow of SAE International, 2006— for professional distinction and significant impact on society's mobility technology through extraordinary research, innovation and creative leadership in science, engineering, and technology.
• Elected to Grade of Fellow of ASME, 2005—for promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical engineering.
• Editorial Board and Associate Technical Editor, International Journal of Vehicle Noise and Vibration, 2002- present.
• Selected as a technical expert on Vibration Damping by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)  to visit  Naval Science and Technology Laboratory (NSTL) and National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), India during  June 1999.
• Who’s Who among America’s Teachers, 1996. (nominated by former students)
• Certificate of Recognition from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, AL. June 1990.  This recognition, which also carried a cash award, was given for the New Technology Development that was part of  Ph.D. dissertation work at Auburn University.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE and LEADERSHIP
Michigan Tech

• Director, ME-DS Research Caucus, ME-EM Department
• Chair, ME-EM Ad-hoc Grievance Committee, Spring 2008
• Chair of ME-EM Dept. Lab Committee, 2002-present
• Chair, DDS PhD Qualifying Exam, April 2008
• Chair, MTU Scientific Misconduct Inquiry Committee, 2007-present
• College of Engineering- M.Engg. Oversight Committee, 1998-present.
• ME-EM Chair Evaluation Committee, 2005-06.
• ME-EM Charter Oversight Committee, 2003-2005, 2007-present
• Faculty Advisor, India Student Association, MTU,  1988-89; 2002-03.
• Area Director, Design and Dynamic Systems Area, 2000-02.
• MTU Sabbatical Leave Committee, 1997-2001.
• ME-EM Faculty Development Committee (FDC), 1989-90; 1998-2000.
• Faculty Advisor- Pi Tau Sigma, MTU Chapter, 1990-98. (Was responsible for hosting the 1996 Pi Tau Sigma National Convention at MTU).
• ME-EM Curriculum committee, 1991-93.
• ME-EM Graduate Committee, 1989-91.

External

• Organizing Committee:  2009,  2007, 2005, 2003, 2001, and 1999  SAE Noise and Vibration Conference, Traverse City, Michigan.
• Organizing Committee: Inter-Noise, August 2002, Dearborn, MI.
• Organizing Committee: International Symposium and Workshop on Vehicle  NVH, June 1996, Seoul, Korea. This was made possible through a tripartite collaboration between Korea Advanced Institute of Science and technology (KAIST), Korea, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), England, and MTU. The event sponsor was Daewoo, Korea.
• Organizing Committee: Second International Congress on Recent Developments in Air and Structure Borne Sound and Vibration, Auburn, AL, March   1992.
• Organizing Committee: Third International Congress on Air and Structure Borne Sound and Vibration, Montreal, Canada, June 1994..

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

• Londhe, N., Rao, M.D., and Blough, J.R., “Application of the ISO 13472-1 in situ technique for measuring the acoustic absorption coefficient of grass and artificial turf surfaces,” Applied Acoustics, 70, 2009, pp. 129-141.  Also, avilable on-line http://www.sciencedirect.com.
• Dreyer, J., Rao, M.D., Pandit, S.M., “Estimation of sound absorption of three-dimensional treatments based on impedance tube measurements.” Noise Control Engineering Journal, 2008,  55 (5), pp. 466-475, 2007.
•  Holt, J.R., Rao, M.D., Blough, J.R., and Gruenberg, S., “Time history based excitation in the dynamic characterization of automotive elastomers,” J. Automobile Engineering,  Vol. 221, No. 3,  Part D. 2007, pp. 271-284.
• VanKarsen, J., Blough, J., and Rao, M.D., “Estimation of powertrain inertia properties via an in-situ method,”  Journal of Passenger Cars- Mechanical Systems, Paper No. 2007-01-2410,  Published by SAE, Aug. 2008.
• Qu, R., Patankar, R., and Rao, M.D., “Stochastic Modeling of Fatigue Crack Propagation by Collective Motion of Dislocations,”   International Journal of Fatigue, 29, Issue 1 ,  Jan. 2007, pp. 181-191.
• Qu, R., Patankar, R., and Rao, M.D., “A Third Order State-Space Model of Fatigue Crack Growth,” Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, 29, Issue 12, pp. 1045-1055, Dec. 2006.
• Rao, M.D., and Letowski, T., “Callsign Acquisition Test (CAT): Speech Intelligibility in Noise,” Ear and Hearing Journal, 27(2), 2006, pp. 120-128.
• Hao, M., and Rao, M.D., “Vibration and Damping Analysis of a Sandwich Beam Containing a Viscoelstic Constraining Layer,”   Journal of Composite Materials,  39, 2005, pp. 1621-1643.
• VanKarsen, J., Dreyer, J., and Rao, M.D., “Speech intelligibility improvements of a small performing arts theater using absorptive panels,” Proc. of Noise-Con 2007, Oct. 2007.
• Gripper, M., and Rao, M.D. “A Speech Intelligibility Test for Military Applications: Callsign Acquisition Test,” E-Proceedings, 12th Conference on IEMS (Industry, Engineering and Management Systems), Cocoa Beach, FL, March, 2006.
• Hao, M., and Rao, M.D., “Optimum Design of Multiple-Constraint-Layered Systems for Vibration Control,”  AIAA Journal, 42(12),  2004, pp. 2448-2461.
• Wirkner, K.J., Rao, M.D, and Gruenberg, S., “Dynamic Characterization of Automotive Exhaust Isolators,” Journal of Automobile Engineering,  218, 2004, pp. 891-900.
• Spruit, M., Rao, M., Holt, J., Boyer, L., Barnard, A., and Dayton, W.,  “Study of Noise Transmission from a Table Saw,”  Sound and Vibration,  June Issue, 2004, pp. 20-26.
• Black, M., and Rao, M.D., “Evaluation and Reduction of Vibrations from the  Steering Column of a Rear Wheel Sedan,”  International Journal  of Vehicle Noise and Vibration, Vol. 1, Nos. 1 /2 , 2004, pp. 122-141.
• Rao, M.D., “Recent Applications of Viscoelastic Damping for Noise Control in Automobiles and Commercial Airplanes,”  Journal of Sound and Vibration,  262, (3), 2003, pp. 457-474. (This paper was one of the top 5 downloads from the JSV web site in 2003!)
• Rao, M.D.,and Gruenberg, S., “Measurement of Equivalent Stiffness and Damping of Shock Absorbers,”  Experimental Techniques,  26, No. 2, 2002, pp. 39-42.
• Black, M.D., and Rao, M.D., “Material Damping Properties - Lab Tests vs. In-Vehicle Performance,” Sound and Vibration, August 2001, pp. 24-28.
• Rao, M.D., Echempati, R., and Nadella, S., “Dynamic Analysis and Damping of Composite Structures Embedded with Viscoelastic Layers,” Composites, Part B- Engineering Journal, 28/5-6, 1997,  pp. 546-554.
• Nathak, S., and Rao, M.D., “Development and Validation of an Encapsulation to Reduce Diesel Engine Noise,” Paper No. SAE 07-47, SAE Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition, Phesant Run Resort, St. Charles, IL, May 15-17, 2007.
• Poradek, F., and Rao, M.D., “Application of Signature Analysis and Operating Deflection Shapes to Identify Sources of Noise from an Excavators,” Paper No. SAE 07-48, SAE Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition, Phesant Run Resort, St. Charles, IL, May 15-17, 2007.
• Deaton, L., Rao, M.D., and Shih, W., “Root Cause Identification and Methods of Reducing Rear Window Buffeting Noise,” Paper No. SAE 07-49, SAE Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition, Phesant Run Resort, St. Charles, IL, May 15-17, 2007.
• Rao, M.D., “Damping of Composites,” Invited lecture given at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology), Sept. 1995
• Dreyer, J., and Rao, M.D., “Design and validation of a Hemi-Anechoic Chamber Facility at Michigan Tech University,” paper presented at the SAE Noise and Vibration Conference, Traverse City, May 2005 (Second Place Award!).
• Barnard, A., and  Rao, M.D. “ Measurement of Sound Transmission Loss Using a Modified Four Microphone Impedance Tube.” Presented at  Noise-Con 04, Baltimore, July 2004.  E-Proceedings published  by the Inst. Noise Control Engg.  Iowa City. (First Place Award!)
• LaLonde, J., Pruse, R.L. and Rao, M.D. “Study and Reduction of Noise from an Electric Router,” Paper presented at Noise-Con 04 , Baltimore, MD, July 2004. . E-Proceedings published by  Inst. Noise Control Engg.  Iowa City. (Second Place Award!).