Masoud Rais-Rohani

Masoud Rais-Rohani is the Richard C. Hill Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maine, within the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. He holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech (1991) and is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.). Prior to joining the University of Maine, he served as Assistant/Associate/Full Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Mississippi State University from 1991 to 2016.

His research focuses on Structural and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization, Design Optimization of Multiscale Systems, Design under Uncertainty, Mechanics of Thin-Walled Structures, and Reduced Order and Surrogate Modeling. His work is supported by major sponsors including the Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), and National Space Science Center (NSSC).

Rais-Rohani's recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward applying optimization techniques to complex structural problems, with increasing emphasis on uncertainty quantification, multiscale systems, and deployable structures. His work spans theoretical development of optimization algorithms to practical applications in aerospace, automotive, and civil engineering contexts.

Among his professional recognitions are:

• Boeing Welliver Faculty Fellow (2008)
• Summer Faculty Fellow at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (2004)
• Summer Faculty Fellow at NASA Langley Research Center (1993, 1994)
• Graduate Intern at NASA Langley Research Center (1990)

As an educator, Rais-Rohani teaches Engineering Optimization and Aircraft & Automobile Structures. He has advised numerous graduate students whose work appears in his publications, with research spanning vehicle crashworthiness, structural optimization, and deployable shelter systems. His department receives funding from various federal agencies for research in structural optimization and design under uncertainty.

Within professional organizations, Rais-Rohani serves as Associate Fellow of AIAA (Deputy Director of Aerospace Design and Structures Technical Group, 2014-2023) and as an active member of ASEE where he has held leadership positions including Mechanics Division Program Chair (2019-2020) and Division Chair (2020-2021), and Aerospace Division Program Chair (2015-2016) and Division Chair (2018-2020).