NLGI Interviews Michael M. Khonsari, PhD
Dow Chemical Endowed Chair and Professor of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana By Mary Moon and Raj Shah
Education NLGI: Please tell us a little bit about your education and your interest in engineering.
Dr. Michael Khonsari’s love of solving problems led him to three academic degrees in mechanical engineering and a productive career as an educator, researcher, author, and director of CeRoM, the Center for Rotating Machinery, at Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge). NLGI awarded him a grant to research failure of mechanical components and greases, and then recognized the results of his studies with the Clarence Earle Award. In this interview with NLGI, Dr. Khonsari explains his research as well as his patent for mechanical seals, the bearing whirl controversy, and his newest studies using contact angle measurements to evaluate water resistance and consistency of very small grease samples. To learn more, read on! (Photos courtesy of Michael N. Khonsari except where noted)
MK: Two areas of science attracted me: medical sciences and engineering. My love of solving problems (and discomfort at the sight of blood) tilted my career to engineering. As would any Texan, it was my dream to study at the main campus of the University of Texas at Austin, the flagship of the UT System. There were over 40,000 students and excellent engineering programs at UT Austin. Today, the University continues to be a top-ranked public institution with an excellent reputation for research and many distinguished faculty members. In 2019, John Goodenough, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering, received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his part in developing the lithium-ion battery, an essential power source for most portable electronic devices and a means
to store energy produced by solar panels and wind turbines. This was the ninth Nobel Prize awarded to UT faculty including Ilya Prigogine (Chemistry, 1977) and Steven Weinberg (Physics, 1979). I am proud that I was a Longhorn and received my BS, MS, and PhD degrees from UT Austin. NLGI: Why did you choose mechanical engineering? MK: Mechanical engineering is, in a sense, the mother of the engineering field. It is a particularly flexible and uniquely stable profession because mechanical engineers can work on electronics, chemicals, civil infrastructure, and even aerospace applications. NLGI: Why did you get your doctorate? MK: As an undergraduate, I knew that the BS would not be my terminal degree. During my senior year in college, I enrolled in graduate school without missing a beat. I wrote a thesis, received my MS, and continued directly to pursue a
- 26 NLGI Spokesman | VOLUME 85, NUMBER 1 | March/April 2021
