Dr. Joe Watkins - Chair
Joe Watkins, who retired as a captain after 31 years in the Navy, came to Clemson from the U.S. Naval Academy in August 2014. He was previously associate professor and general engineering program director in the academy's mechanical engineering department. Watkins is the founding director of the academy's Directed Energy Research Center, where he performed laser research. He is a veteran of the Navy's submarine force, serving in three nuclear submarines from 1983 to 2001. Watkins was qualified as a nuclear engineer and for command.
Watkins was awarded a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in 2004 and an M.S. in astronautical engineering from the United States Naval Postgraduate School. He also holds a B.S. in chemical engineering, plus a B.S. equivalency in electrical engineering from Auburn University.
Current research involves working with top researchers from across the country to use light from lasers, which can be made to twist light in specific directions to improve communications through cloudy air or water. The team uses a 20-meter tunnel designed by Watkins, who researched directed energy while a captain in the Navy. The tunnel allows for a controlled experiment in the lab that would be impossible outside.
Watkins ProfileMeet Our Faculty & Staff
The Department of General Engineering has around 1500 undergraduate students in the first-year program. The department has over 20 full-time faculty members and staff who focus on the students and their success as they begin their engineering academic journey.
General Engineering Faculty
Evrim Altinkaynak
LECTURER
General Engineering
B01-B Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
ealtink@clemson.edu
Steven Brandon
SENIOR LECTURER
General Engineering
B05 Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
brando4@clemson.edu
Grace Crocker
LECTURER
General Engineering
B01-G Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
gfulmer@clemson.edu
Libby Flanagan
LECTURER
General Engineering
B01-I Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
ezanin@clemson.edu
Hema Khedun
LECTURER
General Engineering
B01-L
(864) 656-2542
hkhedun@clemson.edu
Michael Kiernan
LECTURER
General Engineering
B01-F Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
kierna2@clemson.edu
William Martin
PRINCIPAL LECTURER
Associate Director
110C Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
wmartin@clemson.edu
Matt Miller
SENIOR LECTURER
General Engineering
B01-C Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
mkmille@clemson.edu
John Minor
PRINCIPAL LECTURER
General Engineering
106A Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
jminor@clemson.edu
Andrew Neptune
SENIOR LECTURER
General Engineering
B01-K Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
aneptun@clemson.edu
Chelsea Spence
LECTURER
General Engineering
B01-A1 Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
cspenc2@clemson.edu
Elizabeth Stephan
PRINCIPAL LECTURER
Director of Academics
106B Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
bethste@clemson.edu
Vishal Thomas
LECTURER
General Engineering
B05 Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
vishalt@clemson.edu
Michael Waldrop
LECTURER
General Engineering
B01-E Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
mwaldro@clemson.edu
Joe Watkins
DEPARTMENT CHAIR
Department Head
110B Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
rjwatki@clemson.edu
Nighat Yasmin
PRINCIPAL LECTURER
General Engineering
106C Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
yasmin@clemson.edu
Zuo Zhou
LECTURER
General Engineering
B01-A2 Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2542
zuoz@clemson.edu
General Engineering Staff
Coltin Bentz
ACCT/FISCAL ANALYST II
110A Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-0534
cbentz@clemson.edu
Kristen Inabinet
STUDENT SERVICES COORDINATOR II
107 Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2031
kmwhite@clemson.edu
Jennifer Robertson
OFFICE MANAGER
110 Holtzendorff Hall
(864) 656-2250
jrobe25@clemson.edu
