Rungun Nathan

Rungun Nathan is a Professor of Engineering at Penn State Berks, serving as Program Chair for Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Berks Learning Factory since joining in 2007. Previously, he was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Villanova University where he developed the Mechatronics minor curriculum.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University
• M.S. in System Science from Louisiana State University
• Post Graduate Diploma in Electronics Design Technology from Indian Institute of Science
• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from PESCE, Mysore University

Dr. Nathan's research spans unmanned vehicles (ornithopters, frisbees, Samara seeds), mechatronics, MEMS, biomechanics, and engineering education innovation. He directs the Mechatronics and Intelligent Systems Laboratory where undergraduate students conduct hands-on research. His biomechanics work with Dr. Qianhong Wu at Villanova explores brain injury mechanisms through biomimetic fluid dynamics, while his porous media research reveals novel lubrication principles in biological systems.

Recent publications (2021-2023) demonstrate three converging research thrusts: traumatic brain injury biomechanics using biomimetic models, fluid dynamics in soft porous materials for biological applications, and innovative engineering pedagogy integrating low-cost instrumentation. These works frequently appear in Physics of Fluids, Tribology journals, and ASEE conferences, highlighting interdisciplinary collaborations between mechanical engineering and neuroscience.

Dr. Nathan actively mentors students as faculty adviser for the Robotics club and has graduated three master's students through his Villanova collaboration. He developed Penn State courses EMET 230 (Computerized Input/Output) and EMET 326 (Mechanical Drives), emphasizing hands-on projects and differentiated instruction techniques. His educational modules incorporate multimedia technologies to enhance mechanics comprehension.

He maintains active service as a reviewer for ASEE (Mechanics Division, Education Research Methods), ASME, Journal of Engineering Education, and Frontiers in Education Conference, contributing to engineering education scholarship and mechanical systems research evaluation.