John L. Irwin

John L. Irwin

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  • Professor and Chair, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Affiliated Professor, Cognitive and Learning Sciences
  • Director, Research and Innovation in STEAM Education Institute (RISE)
  • EdD, Curriculum and Instruction, Wayne State University
  • MS, Occupational Education, Ferris State University
  • BS, Technical Education, Ferris State University
  • AAS, Mechanical Design Engineering Technology, Michigan Technological University

Biography

John Irwin is a professor and chair of the Department of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology at Michigan Tech. His areas of expertise include jig, fixture, and gage design; the design and manufacture of environmental simulation chambers and A/C units for locomotives and mass-transit units; development of manufacturing workcell simulations, design and testing of residential axial flux alternator turbine systems, and development and training related to open source 3D printing technologies.

Irwin has been Principal Investigator on two Michigan Department of Education projects to improve teacher quality through the Educators’ Professional Development Institute Series, which focuses on topics in the physical sciences, and most recently was co-PI on an MDE project, serving as internal evaluator. In addition to advising the Delta Zeta Chapter of the Epsilon Pi Tau Honor Society, Irwin is an active member of several professional organizations: the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the Association of Technology Management and Applied Engineering, and the American Society of Engineering Educators—Engineering Technology Division and Engineering Design Graphics Division. Irwin is involved with the Greek community on campus, serving as the faculty advisor for the Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity.

Research Interests

  • Problem-based learning methods applied in the areas of CAD/CAM
  • Static and dynamic model simulation
  • Product and manufacturing work cell verification

Teaching Interests

  • Parametric Modeling
  • Statics and Strength of Materials
  • Product Design and Development
  • CAE and FEA Methods
  • Computer-aided Manufacturing
  • Senior Design