Lee Moradi

Lee Moradi is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering (MME) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) since February 2022. He is Co-Director of the Autonomous Vehicle Mobility Institute (AVMI), focusing on autonomous vehicle design and mobility systems. Previously, he held leadership roles at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), including Director of Engineering & Innovative Technology Development (EITD), General Manager of AVMI, Interim Chair of Materials Science & Engineering, and Associate Dean of Research. His expertise spans stress analysis, dynamics, controls, vibrations, finite element simulation, and systems engineering.

Education:

• PhD in Civil Engineering (Structural Mechanics), 2007, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• MSc in Civil Engineering (Structural Mechanics), 2003, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• BSc in Civil Engineering (Structures), 1979, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Research Interests:

• Autonomous vehicle mobility
• Off-road terrain dynamics
• Control systems for autonomous systems
• Simulation and modeling of complex systems

Highlights of Scholarly Work: His publications focus on autonomous vehicle mobility optimization, terrain modeling, and systems engineering applications in aerospace and defense industries. Recent work includes advancements in path planning algorithms, driveline control, and cybersecurity for sensor systems.

Awards:

• President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (UAB, 2016)
• NASA Group Achievement Awards (2016, 2014) for ISS-related projects
• Engineers Making a Difference Award (2011)

Grants and Labs: Co-lead a $2M Massachusetts-funded lab for autonomous off-road vehicle research. Previously managed a $5-6M NASA-funded ISS payload development center. Involved in projects for DoD, DoE, and automotive industries.

Labs/Teams: Co-Director of WPI’s AVMI lab, collaborating on off-road autonomous systems and mobility design.