Dr. Peter Tkacik, a UNC Charlotte mechanical engineering professor, was awarded with over $3 million for research funding through the Bonnie E. Cone Early-Career Teaching Professorship.
This award is given to a professor who goes above and beyond teaching. They enrich, motivate and lead students through their education.
Tkacik is described as all of the above and more from his students and coworkers.
Ph.D. student Jerry Dahlberg states, “He is part of the reason I stayed at UNC Charlotte to pursue my graduate degree … he spends countless hours every week in the lab mentoring numerous senior design teams, above and beyond what is expected.”
When asked to describe what motivates Tkacik’s passion and creativity in the classroom, he responded with a childhood story.
“When my Lotus sports car caught fire in 1978, my uncle said he would trade a busted Porsche for it. When I said I couldn’t fix it, he said he could so if I tried and got stuck, he would “unstick” me. It was great and I use that logic to get my students to take on bigger projects than they are comfortable with. With support and guidance, you can do anything.”
Tkacik has been at UNC Charlotte since 2007 teaching mechanical engineering. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Engineering/Technology for Caraustar Industries, but says that “becoming a professor was about the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Tkacik spent 12 years at Michelin Research and developed a Tire Mechanics course based off of the knowledge gained from his experience. He believes that when combining all types of engineering you get mechanical engineering.
His Tire Mechanics course illustrates just that.
“My mechanical engineers can and have done everything from programming and wiring like an electrical engineer, statistical production studies like an industrial, to heavy iron work like a civil.”
Tkacik will receive $100,000 of his $3 million research grant every 4 months.
He is helping develop a military technology course with the Office of Naval Research and has worked on Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) education to attract new students to UNC Charlotte and the Engineering department.
As of right now he does not have specific future plans but is excited about the various options waiting to be explored.
“I expect that the range of experimental topics I’ve mastered allows me to apply for a wider range of research,” said Tkacik.
To list a few of his past projects: Super-sonic Schleiren flow measurement in rocket nozzles, ultrasonic medical sensors for blood pressure, passenger car production plant capabilities, heavy truck aerodynamics and tire axle improvements, the only Tomographic PIV (3D flow) system in the nation.