Stephen D. Hill

Dr. Stephen D. Hill serves as Associate Dean and Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Mercer University's School of Engineering. Holding a PhD from Georgia Tech and 13 years of industry experience at Schlumberger Oilfield Services, he directs academic programs while maintaining an active research portfolio in fluid-particle interactions and materials engineering.

Education:

• PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (1999)
• MSE, Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (1996)
• BME, Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (1994)
• BS, General Science, Morehouse College (1994)

His research centers on particle transport phenomena, debris-tolerant systems, and erosion modeling with emphasis on high-temperature plasma interactions. Current work focuses on metallic coatings for polymer composites to enhance erosion resistance and antibacterial properties, utilizing magnetron sputtering techniques for nanoparticle deposition. He maintains strong industry connections through patents in oil/gas well servicing systems and advisory roles with Tulsa University's drilling projects.

Publication analysis reveals sustained focus on materials degradation mechanics (73% of recent work) with growing contributions to engineering education (27% since 2020). Key themes include laboratory apparatus development for erosion/corrosion testing and curriculum innovation in thermal-fluid sciences. Collaborative patterns show consistent partnership with Dr. Mihut (12/15 papers) across materials characterization and educational research.

Awards:

• Outstanding Student Organization Advisor, NSBE (2020)
• School of Engineering Clayton R. Paul Teaching Excellence Award, MUSE (2016)

As Program Evaluator for ABET and reviewer for ASEE conferences, he shapes national accreditation standards. His capstone design mentorship extends to student teams developing erosion testers and corrosion apparatus. Current grants include Department of Energy projects on plasma-material interactions and NSF funding for cybersecurity curriculum integration.

He directs the Materials Wear Laboratory where student teams develop testing apparatus for polymer/metallic systems, with recent focus on environmentally degraded additively manufactured materials. The lab's industry partnerships with Corelis and Schlumberger provide real-world validation of erosion models.