Gary Nave

Gary Nave is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines (2022–present), focusing on dynamics and robotics education while developing advanced courses. Previously, he held postdoctoral roles at the University of Colorado Boulder’s BioFrontiers Institute (2018–2020) and Northwestern University’s Department of Engineering Science and Applied Mathematics (2020–2022). He earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Tech (2018) and B.S. in Engineering Science and Mechanics from the same institution (2012).

His research integrates nonlinear dynamical systems, collective behavior modeling, and fluid dynamics. Key areas include:

• Swarm intelligence in honeybees and fire ants
• Pain dynamics in sickle cell disease (SCD)
• Biomimetic seed dispersal mechanisms
• Fluid-structure interactions in biological systems

Recent work includes x-ray CT analysis of honeybee swarm structures and SCD pain pattern clustering from sparse data. He has mentored students across levels, including undergraduates and high schoolers in STEM programs.