Author Profile

Indrek Wichman

Indrek S. Wichman is a professor of mechanical engineering at Michigan State University where he has been a faculty member since 1986. His research interests are in combustion, heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and related areas. Current projects of interest include research on flame and fire safety, flammability testing of composite materials, green roof technology, and combustion in engines. He is a member of the scientific honor society Sigma Xi. He has worked as a visiting professor/research scientist in Finland, Norway, and France as well as in the US at NIST. His consulting company is 3-B Combustion, Explosion and Fire Consultants. He holds a B.S.M.E from Stony Brook University, an M.S. in mechanics from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University (1983).

Articles by Indrek Wichman

Engineering Education: Social Engineering Rather than Actual Engineering

Aug 2, 2017 · Indrek Wichman · 164 Comments

We engineers like to solve technical problems. That’s the way we think, that’s why we chose our major, that’s why we got into and stayed in engineering. There are several other reasons why we got into engineering. One of them was the absence of what I describe here as “social engineering,” where the professor/instructor is … Continue reading “Engineering Education: Social Engineering Rather than Actual Engineering “

Engineering—or Social Engineering?

Dec 20, 2010 · Indrek Wichman · No Comments

A professor comments on disquieting trends in his field.

Faculty in Denial about Own Role in Decline of Humanities Jun 20, 2018
If you want to see one example of why a new populism has emerged in American universities in the last 10 years, take a look at a statement issued last week by the Association of University Professors and the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The incapacity of the experts and professionals who wrote the … Continue reading “Faculty in Denial about Own Role in Decline of Humanities”
Are North Carolina Universities Biased? Look at What Students Are Reading Jun 18, 2018
North Carolina just added a new layer of meaning to its motto, First in Flight. This time the state is the first in the nation to get campus free speech off the runway. The North Carolina Campus Free Speech Act lofts the idea that college students and invited speakers have a right to express … Continue reading “Are North Carolina Universities Biased? Look at What Students Are Reading”
Teacher Training and the Construction of Illiteracy Jun 15, 2018
No cliché is more ubiquitous at teacher protests than signs that read, “if you can read this sign, thank a teacher.” That is, unless you disregard variations on the theme of “pay us more.” And yet, student performance on national and international tests suggest that the reading comprehension of most American students does not extend … Continue reading “Teacher Training and the Construction of Illiteracy”

Faculty in Denial about Own Role in Decline of Humanities Jun 20, 2018
If you want to see one example of why a new populism has emerged in American universities in the last 10 years, take a look at a statement issued last week by the Association of University Professors and the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The incapacity of the experts and professionals who wrote the … Continue reading “Faculty in Denial about Own Role in Decline of Humanities”
Are North Carolina Universities Biased? Look at What Students Are Reading Jun 18, 2018
North Carolina just added a new layer of meaning to its motto, First in Flight. This time the state is the first in the nation to get campus free speech off the runway. The North Carolina Campus Free Speech Act lofts the idea that college students and invited speakers have a right to express … Continue reading “Are North Carolina Universities Biased? Look at What Students Are Reading”
Diversity and Inclusion of Identity Groups Often Means Uniformity and Exclusion of Ideas Jun 13, 2018
“‘Diversity and inclusion’ is the moral benchmark of our time… Every corporation, college, and government agency, along with a growing number of bowling leagues and bait-and-tackle shops, has an Office of Diversity and Inclusion.” So says William Voegeli in a recent article. And so says the University of California at Los Angeles, whose campus-wide Vice … Continue reading “Diversity and Inclusion of Identity Groups Often Means Uniformity and Exclusion of Ideas”

Faculty in Denial about Own Role in Decline of Humanities Jun 20, 2018
If you want to see one example of why a new populism has emerged in American universities in the last 10 years, take a look at a statement issued last week by the Association of University Professors and the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The incapacity of the experts and professionals who wrote the … Continue reading “Faculty in Denial about Own Role in Decline of Humanities”
Are North Carolina Universities Biased? Look at What Students Are Reading Jun 18, 2018
North Carolina just added a new layer of meaning to its motto, First in Flight. This time the state is the first in the nation to get campus free speech off the runway. The North Carolina Campus Free Speech Act lofts the idea that college students and invited speakers have a right to express … Continue reading “Are North Carolina Universities Biased? Look at What Students Are Reading”
Teacher Training and the Construction of Illiteracy Jun 15, 2018
No cliché is more ubiquitous at teacher protests than signs that read, “if you can read this sign, thank a teacher.” That is, unless you disregard variations on the theme of “pay us more.” And yet, student performance on national and international tests suggest that the reading comprehension of most American students does not extend … Continue reading “Teacher Training and the Construction of Illiteracy”