Scott David Kelly

Scott David Kelly is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte), affiliated with the William States Lee College of Engineering. He holds an Honors Faculty position until June 2026. His research focuses on geometric mechanics, nonlinear dynamics, and control systems, particularly in bio-inspired robotics and fluid dynamics. Kelly earned his B.S. from Cornell University (1991), M.S. and Ph.D. from Caltech (1992, 1998), followed by a postdoc at Caltech and industry experience at Entelos before joining UNC Charlotte in 2007.

Education:

• B.S., Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, 1991
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1992
• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1998

Research interests include differential geometric methods in mechanics, bio-inspired robotic locomotion, and nonlinear control systems. His work often explores energy-efficient systems inspired by nature, such as aquatic propulsion via vortex shedding and multi-vehicle coordination. Recent publications span topics like inertial particle transport in fluids and HIV prevalence modeling.

Teaching involves courses on mechanical engineering and applied mathematics. He contributes to labs and teams focused on fluid dynamics and robotics. Contact details include email addresses and his office at Duke Centennial Hall.