Monique McClainView profile
Assistant Professor
Monique McClain is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University's West Lafayette School of Mechanical Engineering. She joined Purdue in Fall 2021 after a postdoc at Oak Ridge National Laboratories. Her academic journey includes a Ph.D. and M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University (2020 and 2018) and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from UC San Diego. She has held internships at NAWCWD China Lake and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center through her National Science and Technology Graduate Fellowship (NSTRF). Her research focuses on advancing additive manufacturing techniques for energetic materials, dissimilar material printing, and quality control in high-temperature applications. Key areas include combustion dynamics, propulsion systems, and convergent manufacturing strategies. The McClain Team, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, develops novel materials and processes for applications in aerospace and defense through projects like multi-formulation printing and anomaly detection in 3D printing. Research Highlights: Development of photopolymeric binders for solid propellant 3D printing Integration of ultrasonic vibrations for viscous material extrusion Anomaly detection in fused filament fabrication using machine learning Awards & Recognition: 2023 MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 AFOSR Young Investigator Program (YIP) FY23 Award 2021 AIAA Propellants and Combustion Best Paper Award Advising & Team: Supervises a dynamic team of PhD and MS students exploring topics like dissimilar material interfaces, real-time quality monitoring, and ceramic matrix composites. She prioritizes DEI initiatives and mentors students in technical communication and ethical engineering practices. Labs & Facilities: Leverages Purdue's advanced manufacturing facilities to conduct experiments in multi-material printing and combustion testing. Collaborates with industry partners to bridge academic research with practical applications.










