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Engineer working with robotic arm.
Department of Mechanical Engineering

People

Dr. Alexander Leonessa - Chair

Alexander Leonessa profile

Alexander Leonessa joined Clemson from the National Science Foundation (NSF), where he served as program director. At NSF, he led the Mind, Machine, Motor Nexus (M3X) program, contributing to major initiatives in dynamic systems and control, robotics, computational neuroscience, and human-technology partnerships. Prior to his role at NSF, Leonessa held multiple leadership positions at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. These included associate department head for Strategic Initiatives and director of the Proposal Development Institute, where he played a crucial role in shaping the department’s research vision and growth.

Leonessa's research expertise spans control theory and robotics; autonomous ground, aerial, surface, and underwater vehicles; rehabilitation robotics, human-robot interaction; and assistive technologies.

Department Administrators and Staff

Name Title Email
Alexander Leonessa Department Chair aleones@clemson.edu
OPEN Office Manager mecheng@clemson.edu
Stone Tracy Accountant stonet@clemson.edu
Derrick Jordan Website, Publications jordan2@clemson.edu

Please view the complete list of faculty and staff below in our department directory.

Department Directory

The Department of Mechanical Engineering has over 35 tenured/tenure-track faculty and full-time and part-time lecturers who teach and perform research on a broad range of topics. The department has 13 administrative and technical staff members. Our staff is instrumental in the department's operations and support of faculty and students.

Academic Contacts

The Clemson University Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate degree program is an ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science degree designed to provide students with engineering science and design knowledge. We offer two Master of Science degrees (thesis and non-thesis options) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.

Please visit our tour page for information on campus tours, virtual meetings, and department visits.

Portia Mitchum
Undergraduate Student Services Manager
portiam@clemson.edu

Irina Kharitinova
Graduate Student Services Coordinator
ikharit@clemson.edu

Advisory Board

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is advised by an Advisory Board comprised of the department chair and approximately nine to twelve industry leaders relevant to the department.

Advisory Board Members