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 · 153 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.

When College Sports Lean Pro, Students and the Public Pay Aug 21, 2017
Last week marked the latest chapter in the biggest college sports scandal in history. Administrators and athletics officials from UNC-Chapel Hill appeared before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in Nashville, Tennessee. At issue was whether the bogus classes UNC athletes took between 1993 and 2011 should be considered “impermissible benefits.” The Committee is expected to … Continue reading “When College Sports Lean Pro, Students and the Public Pay”
Millennials and the Anti-Capitalistic Mindset Aug 18, 2017
The great intellectual debate of the 20th Century was between capitalism and socialism, wrote Robert Heilbroner in a 1989 New Yorker article. Seeing the collapse of Soviet Communism (socialism with totalitarian power), he proclaimed “the triumph of capitalism.” A socialist most of his career, Heilbroner explained: “Less than 75 years after it officially began, the contest between capitalism … Continue reading “Millennials and the Anti-Capitalistic Mindset”
No, Professor, Words Are Not Violence Aug 16, 2017
The excuse we have often heard for raucous campus protests over the last few years is that they are justified as a way of countering the “violence” of speakers like Milo Yiannopoulos and Charles Murray. To prevent them from speaking is, according to this line of argument, using mere sound to eliminate the actual harm … Continue reading “No, Professor, Words Are Not Violence”

Millennials and the Anti-Capitalistic Mindset Aug 18, 2017
The great intellectual debate of the 20th Century was between capitalism and socialism, wrote Robert Heilbroner in a 1989 New Yorker article. Seeing the collapse of Soviet Communism (socialism with totalitarian power), he proclaimed “the triumph of capitalism.” A socialist most of his career, Heilbroner explained: “Less than 75 years after it officially began, the contest between capitalism … Continue reading “Millennials and the Anti-Capitalistic Mindset”
No, Professor, Words Are Not Violence Aug 16, 2017
The excuse we have often heard for raucous campus protests over the last few years is that they are justified as a way of countering the “violence” of speakers like Milo Yiannopoulos and Charles Murray. To prevent them from speaking is, according to this line of argument, using mere sound to eliminate the actual harm … Continue reading “No, Professor, Words Are Not Violence”
From College Indoctrination to Corporate Intolerance Aug 11, 2017
A day after an internal email by a Google employee was leaked to the press, a combination of ideological intolerance and scientific illiteracy led Google to fire James Damore for “perpetuating gender stereotypes.” On the day he was fired, Quillette.com published several brief essays by academics on the science of sex differences, mostly vindicating his … Continue reading “From College Indoctrination to Corporate Intolerance”

When College Sports Lean Pro, Students and the Public Pay Aug 21, 2017
Last week marked the latest chapter in the biggest college sports scandal in history. Administrators and athletics officials from UNC-Chapel Hill appeared before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in Nashville, Tennessee. At issue was whether the bogus classes UNC athletes took between 1993 and 2011 should be considered “impermissible benefits.” The Committee is expected to … Continue reading “When College Sports Lean Pro, Students and the Public Pay”
Millennials and the Anti-Capitalistic Mindset Aug 18, 2017
The great intellectual debate of the 20th Century was between capitalism and socialism, wrote Robert Heilbroner in a 1989 New Yorker article. Seeing the collapse of Soviet Communism (socialism with totalitarian power), he proclaimed “the triumph of capitalism.” A socialist most of his career, Heilbroner explained: “Less than 75 years after it officially began, the contest between capitalism … Continue reading “Millennials and the Anti-Capitalistic Mindset”
No, Professor, Words Are Not Violence Aug 16, 2017
The excuse we have often heard for raucous campus protests over the last few years is that they are justified as a way of countering the “violence” of speakers like Milo Yiannopoulos and Charles Murray. To prevent them from speaking is, according to this line of argument, using mere sound to eliminate the actual harm … Continue reading “No, Professor, Words Are Not Violence”