Dr. Guillermo Aguilar has been named the new department head of the J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He steps into the role effective July 1, replacing current department head Dr. Andreas Polycarpou.
Aguilar comes to Texas A&M from the University of California, Riverside, where he has served as department chair since 2013. He had been a member of their faculty since 2003.
"I am honored to be joining such a prestigious department comprised of incredible faculty, students and staff," Aguilar said. "I look forward to working with all the department's stakeholders to continue guiding it along its trajectory of increasing prominence and national reputation for excellence."
Aguilar earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical and electrical engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and both his master's degree and doctoral degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a member of the Mexican Academy of Engineering.
His research interests include cryogen spray cooling, laser-tissue interactions, biomedical optics and medical lasers. Aguilar's work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Sandia National Labs, the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Polycarpou, the James J. Cain Chair Professor, served as department head for mechanical engineering for over eight years and will be returning to his teaching and research as Aguilar transitions into the leadership position.
"The department is in an excellent state with superb faculty, students and staff, and it is my honor to hand leadership of it over to Dr. Aguilar," Polycarpou said. "I wish him success and I am looking forward to seeing what is to come."