Muhammad R. Hajj named J. Byron Maupin Professor

Muhammad R. Hajj, professor of biomedical engineering and mechanics in the College of Engineering and associate dean of the Graduate School at Virginia Tech, was recently named the J. Byron Maupin Professor by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The J. Byron Maupin Professorship was established by his widow, Majorie S. Maupin and her brother, LeRoy M. Sizemore, in 1993 to recognize teaching and research excellence in the College of Engineering. J. Byron Maupin, a native of Bedford, Virginia, was a 1934 industrial engineering graduate who spent his career with DuPont and Sprague Meter Company.

Recipients hold the title of the J. Byron Maupin Professor of Engineering for a period of five years that is renewable.

A member of the Virginia Tech faculty since 1992, Hajj has excelled in the field of engineering mechanics with significant contributions in scholarship, teaching, service, and outreach.

Hajj combines interactive classroom instruction technologies with hands-on learning experiences. He is committed to expanding graduate course work to include career and professional development experiences by engaging students in extracurricular discussions with local and global industrial leaders.

Hajj has obtained more than $16 million in external grants from industry and government agencies including the National Science Foundation, Air Force Research Laboratory, Office of Naval research, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Hajj has advised 21 Ph.D. and 10 master’s students with whom he co-authored 123 journal articles. His students have advanced to faculty positions at the University of California at Irvine, New Mexico State University, ETH Zurich, and the University of Maryland. They have also received numerous awards for their publications and research efforts.

Recently, Hajj was elected a Fellow in the Engineering Mechanics Institute, one of the highest recognitions for individuals in his field. Hajj serves as the director of the Center for Energy Harvesting Materials and Systems, leading a consortium of research universities, industry partners, and commercial and government organizations through an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center and is funded by the National Science Foundation.

Hajj received his bachelor’s degree from the American University of Beirut and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.