Silver Circles: Jonathan Komperda

Jonathan Komperda, lecturer, mechanical and industrial engineering. Photo: Ronald Fernandez

Since 1966, the Silver Circle Award has been presented to some of UIC’s best teachers. Winners, who are honored at their college commencements, receive $500 and their names join a long list of distinguished colleagues. But what makes the award especially meaningful is its selection committee: the graduating seniors.

Silver Circles: 1
Years at UIC: 3

What does it mean to win this award from the graduating seniors?

Honestly, it means a great deal to me. It shows me that the changes I’ve implemented in my courses are beneficial to students. It shows me that I am taking the correct course of action and that students believe what I bring to the classroom is useful.

What do you teach?

During the school year, I teach ME/IE 396 and ME/IE 397, which is mechanical and industrial engineering’s senior design capstone course sequence. In the summer, I teach ME428: “Numerical Methods in Mechanical Engineering.”

How do you engage students in your courses?

I engage students in the class and outside the class. I keep an open-door policy, where students can drop by with questions. I do my best to be approachable and easy-going. I do my best to implement technology in the classroom. In ME428, I take problems that were assigned in other courses and show students how to use the numerical techniques I teach them to solve the problems using programming with computers. In the senior design course, we reach out to companies to source industry projects.

What are your research interests?

My research is in the fields of computational fluid dynamics and high-performance computing. I specialize in high-fidelity simulations of turbulent, supersonic, and/or chemically reacting flows. I also build CNC (computer numerically controlled) machines for fun.

What is your advice to graduating students?

I want students to remember that as engineers, we design and develop the products and processes that surround us. Use your education, your creativity, and your minds to make the world a better place.