Mansour Karkoub

Mansour Karkoub serves as Associate Dean of Accreditation & Assessment at Lamar University's College of Engineering, holding the Michael E. and Patricia P. Aldredge Endowed Chair while serving as Professor of Mechanical Engineering. His academic career spans leadership roles at Texas A&M University, the Petroleum Institute (Abu Dhabi), and INRIA (France), with expertise rooted in robotics and control systems.

Education:

• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota
• Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR), University of Versailles, France

Research Focus: Dr. Karkoub pioneers Robust Control methodologies (H-infinity, adaptive, AI-based), Vibration Control for flexible structures, and Robotics applications spanning medical, inspection, and manufacturing systems. His work on Ground/Underwater Autonomous Vehicles addresses self-driving technologies and mobile robotics, while his Engineering Education research integrates ABET accreditation standards with technology-enhanced learning.

Publication Trends: Recent articles (2021-2024) reveal concentrated advancements in neural network-integrated motion cueing algorithms, adaptive fuzzy control for underwater manipulators, and sustainable energy harvesting from vehicle suspensions. His work consistently bridges theoretical control frameworks with real-world applications in autonomous systems, emphasizing uncertainty handling and disturbance rejection.

Scientific Recognition:

• Outstanding Researcher Award (2019, Texas A&M Qatar)
• Distinguished Achievement Award (2012, Dwight Look College)
• Best Teacher Award (2012, Texas A&M Qatar)
• Fellow of ASME, IET, and IMechE
• IEEE Senior Member

Research Leadership: Secured over $12M in funding including a $1.2M 2022 grant for smart vehicle research. Founded and directs the Smart Systems Laboratory at Texas A&M Qatar, mentoring teams focused on autonomous vehicle innovation while leading ABET accreditation initiatives as a commissioner.

Laboratory Impact: The Smart Systems Laboratory drives advancements in underwater vehicle manipulators, medical robotics, and energy-efficient transportation through cross-disciplinary collaboration, directly translating control theory into deployable autonomous systems for industrial and medical applications.