Martin Tanaka

Biography

As a faculty member at WCU, I spend my time teaching mechanical engineering courses, conducting research, and serving the university and the community. I usually have a few graduate students and some students doing undergraduate research. My research interests include developing innovative biomedical devices, computational modeling, neuromuscular control, and industry-academic partnerships. Most of my research projects have design, build, test, and optimization components stemming from my experience designing products in industry. I am a licensed professional engineer and enjoy working with students and local companies on their projects. Put simply, “I apply mechanical engineering principles to solve biomedical problems”. Being a veteran, I also have a special interest in my projects to assist the U.S. Armed Forces.<br><br>Professionally, I serve the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in a variety of leadership roles. After 26 years of membership, I was honored as an ASME fellow. My degrees are in mechanical engineering (NCSU), engineering mechanics (VT) and I earned a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University.

Education

• Ph D, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• MS, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• BS, North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Teaching Interests

Design for Manufacturing<br>Innovation in Engineering Design<br>Product Design and Development<br> Material Properties and Behavior

Research Interests

Innovative Biomedical Devices<br>Computational Modeling<br>Neuromuscular Control<br>Industry-Academic Partnerships