rprucka@clemson.edu
(864) 905-4826
4 Research Drive
Greenville, SC 29607
Robert Prucka is the Interim Chair and Alan Kulwicki Professor of Motorsports Engineering within the Department of Automotive Engineering and the Director of the Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems Center (VIPR-GS) at Clemson University. His current roles include overseeing both undergraduate and graduate programs in Automotive Engineering, as well as managing a large research center focused on the virtual and physical prototyping of off-road autonomous vehicles. He maintains an active research group around design, control, calibration, performance, and emissions of advanced powertrain systems. He is currently researching the use of artificial intelligence and/or optimal control strategies for the design and operation of electrified powertrains used in autonomous off-road vehicles. Robert previously directed the Deep Orange vehicle prototyping program at Clemson University. Within that program, he led teams of students, staff, and faculty through the design, build, and validation of prototype vehicles, including the high-speed, driverless race car used in the Indy Autonomous Challenge. Robert is an active member of the Clemson University Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), and is a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). He received the SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award in 2017 and the Murray Stokely Award for Excellence in Teaching at Clemson University in 2015. Robert earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2008.