Leadership

Current leadership

Dr. Bashar Emon, Laboratory Coordinator

Dr. Bashar Emon currently serves as the Teaching Lab Coordinator of the Mechanical Testing Instructional Laboratory (MTIL) in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He assumed this role in May 2025, bringing over a decade of combined academic, research, and consulting experience in experimental mechanics and materials testing.

Dr. Emon earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2023. His doctoral and postdoctoral research, conducted under the mentorship of Prof. Taher Saif, focused on experimental biomechanics, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and cellular mechanotransduction. Prior to his time at Illinois, he served as a faculty member in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), where he also earned his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering (summa cum laude) and M.Sc. in Structural Engineering.

During his tenure at BUET, Dr. Emon collaborated with the Mechanics of Materials and Concrete laboratories, contributing toward effective operations, safety compliance, and instructional delivery for large student cohorts. He also served as a materials testing expert and consultant for the Bureau of Research, Testing, and Consultation (BRTC), contributing to structural design, diagnostics and engineering evaluations for major infrastructure projects.

His technical expertise spans a broad range of mechanical testing methods, including tensile, flexural, and fatigue testing, with additional emphasis on digital image correlation (DIC), innovative instrumentation, and custom test setups for specialized materials. His research has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including Science Advances, Nature Protocols, Acta Biomaterialia, PNAS, ACS Nano, Extreme Mechanics Letters, Lab on a Chip, and Construction & Building Materials. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES).

Past leadership

Dr. David Farrow, Lab Coordinator (Retired)

David Farrow is the former coordinator of the Mechanical Testing Instructional Laboratory directing from August, 2010 to December, 2024. Prior to his appointment, he was associated with the Department of Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Martin, where he taught courses in linear controls, industrial automation, solid modeling, mechanical vibration, instrumentation and experimental methods, manufacturing processes, and engineering materials, all of which included laboratory experiences.

A native of Dallas, Texas, he received his BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1989, his MSME in 1990, and his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 1995, all from the University of Texas at Arlington. His graduate coursework and dissertation, supervised by Dr. Stephen Kugle, emphasized machine automation, robotics, and advanced control methods.

He has industrial and other academic experience and is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), to which he has presented conference papers discussing the implementation of several of the engineering courses he has taught. Materials testing, machine control, instrumentation, and engineering education, especially in relation to mechanical materials testing, are his areas of interest.

Selected ASEE conference papers:

Farrow, D. (2007, June), Development of a Manufacturing Processes Course for a BSE Program: Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Student Learning, Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--1771.

Farrow, D. (2006, June), Development of an Instrumentation and Experimental Methods Course and Laboratory for a BSE Program, Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--23.

Dr. John Williams, Lab Manager (Retired)

John Williams held the position of academic professional at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was the manager of the Mechanical Testing Instructional Laboratory from September, 1994 to August, 2010. Immediately prior to his appointment, he was a research associate and instructor at the University of Maryland - College Park and at the University of Maryland - Baltimore County. One of his duties was teaching the materials laboratory course in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Dr. Williams is a native of Charlotte, N.C. He received his BS in Engineering Mechanics in 1967 and Master of Engineering in 1972, both from N.C. State University. He was awarded his Ph.D. in Engineering Science and Mechanics from N.C. State University in 1978. His thesis area was the investigation of high rate deformation in polymers.

He has academic and industrial experience. His primary research area of interest is high rate deformation of materials and instrumentation.

Professional memberships include the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), and ASM International.

Dr. Williams retired from the University of Illinois in August, 2010.

MTIL-related ASEE conference paper:

Williams, J. (2006, June), A College Wide Materials Testing Lab: A Unique Approach for Hands On Experience, Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--1399.