Mechanics

Professor John Parmigiani has long and varied experience in engineering. Academic training began with metals-machining and vehicle-mechanics courses prior to college, B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan. Professional experience includes 10 years as a practicing engineer in industry with several Pennsylvania manufacturing firms. He has a life-long passion for creating mechanical devices and solving engineering problems. His current position is as a Research Associate Professor in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University where he is Director of  the Prototype Development Lab, Director of Industry Research, and Capstone Coordinator.

He has been at Oregon State University since 2004.

Research Interests:
Dr. Parmigiani leads the Prototype Development Laboratory (PDL). The PDL designs, builds, and tests mechanical and electromechanical devices for businesses of all sizes from start-ups to large corporations. PDL work also includes finite element modeling, often with experimental validation, of technically relevant engineering phenomena.

Dr. Parmigiani's research has received support from a number of businesses including Blount International, Daimler Trucks North America, The Boeing Company, PCC Structurals, and a number of small companies. Government funding sources include the National Science Foundation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Oregon Metals Initiative.