معرفی
Leigh McCue-Weil is Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at George Mason University's College of Engineering and Computing. She previously served as Executive Director of the American Society of Naval Engineers (2015–2018) and was an Assistant then Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech (2004–2015). Her academic leadership and research have established her as a key figure in naval and mechanical engineering education and innovation.
She earned her BSE in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University, followed by MSE and PhD degrees in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and an MSE in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan. Her educational background laid the foundation for her interdisciplinary research in maritime systems.
Her research interests center on maritime robotics, nonlinear and chaotic vessel dynamics, computational fluid dynamics, and the verification and validation of autonomous maritime systems. She emphasizes workforce development and safety in maritime industries, integrating real-world case studies and hands-on learning into her teaching. Her lab, the Vessel Dynamics Lab, engages students in cutting-edge projects involving autonomous surface and underwater vehicles, as seen in participation in the RoboNation RobotX competition and capstone designs such as sprint-capable underwater gliders and remote-controlled buoys.
McCue-Weil’s research has been funded by major agencies including the Office of Naval Research (ONR), National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and others. Current projects include assessing sleep deprivation in commercial fishermen (with Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital), enhancing university-Navy workforce development partnerships (ONR), and the BRITE Relaunch project on Persistent and Accessible Maritime Monitoring (NSF, starting 2022). She also participated in the ASEE-ONR Summer Faculty Research Program and completed a sabbatical at the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Combatant Craft Division.
- Assessments of Sleep Deprivation and Associated Health and Cognitive Impacts in Commercial Fisherman (Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital / HHS)
- Enhancing Opportunities for Outreach and Workforce Development between George Mason University and the U.S. Navy (ONR)
- BRITE Relaunch: Persistent and Accessible Maritime Monitoring (PAMM) (NSF, 2022–)
She is actively involved in engineering education outreach, using storytelling and experiential learning to build a more inclusive STEM workforce. She hosts a podcast via Anchor.fm/mason-meche and maintains a public presence through Twitter (@MasonMECHE) and lab websites. Her work bridges advanced engineering research with practical education and societal impact in maritime safety and autonomy.
