ACADEMIC CHAMPION AWARD – Jonathan Fiene, University of Pennsylvania
Jonathan Fiene is a Senior Lecturer and the Director of Laboratory Programs in the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics department at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2001 and his Masters and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2003 and 2007, respectively. At Penn since the Fall of 2007, Jonathan's teaching has focused on mechanical design, fabrication, robotics, and mechatronics, with a particular emphasis in hands-on, project-based learning to bring students face-to-face with realistic engineering challenges. In addition to instruction,
Jonathan has also been active in the development of numerous mechatronic systems to support both academic and industrial endeavors, including a custom microcontroller platform that has seen wide adoption both in and out of the classroom.