Alexander H. Slocum

Alexander H. Slocum is the Walter M. May (1939) and A. Hazel May Chair in Emerging Technologies and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With over three decades of academic and research experience, he has established himself as a leading expert in precision machine design, medical device innovation, and renewable energy systems. His work bridges theoretical principles with practical applications that address real-world challenges in healthcare, energy, and manufacturing.

Slocum earned all his degrees from MIT (S.B. 1982, S.M. 1983, Ph.D. 1985) and has remained at the institution throughout his academic career. His research spans multiple disciplines with a particular focus on Precision Machine Design, Medical Device Design, and Renewable Energy Systems. He has pioneered innovations in kinematic couplings, hydrostatic bearings, and carbon nanotube applications. His work often involves interdisciplinary collaboration between engineers and clinicians to develop cost-effective medical solutions, as well as developing novel approaches to offshore renewable energy storage.

Professor Slocum's publications reflect his diverse research interests, with recent work focusing on underwater energy storage systems for offshore wind farms, medical device innovation for global healthcare applications, and advanced manufacturing techniques. His work on the Ocean Renewable Energy Storage (ORES) system represents a significant contribution to solving the intermittency problem of renewable energy sources. In medical devices, he has focused on creating affordable solutions for both developed and developing world contexts.

• U.S. DoC Bronze Medal Award for Federal Service (1986)
• NSF Presidential Young Investigator (1987)
• Multiple R&D 100 Awards (1994-2010) for innovative technologies
• MacVicar Faculty Fellow (1999)
• Massachusetts Professor of the Year Award (2000)
• ASME Leonardo da Vinci Award (2004)
• ASME Machine Design Award (2008)
• ASME Ruth and Joel Spira Outstanding Design Educator Award (2018)
• National Academy of Inventors Fellow (2021)

Slocum has advised numerous students who have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry. His teaching philosophy emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world problem solving, exemplified by his development of MIT's 2.75 Precision Machine Design course where students collaborate with clinicians to develop medical devices. He has also served in significant government roles, including as Assistant Director for Advanced Manufacturing in the Executive Office of the White House (2013-2014) and on the Department of Energy's BP Gulf Oil Spill response team (2010-2010). His PERG (Precision Engineering Research Group) laboratory serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research and innovation.