| March 13, 2006 Vol. 77, no. 9S
 |
|
ME professor J. Karl Hedrick holds the James Marshall Wells Academic
Chair in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently the director
of Berkeley’s Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory. He received
his B.S. in engineering mechanics from the University of Michigan
in 1966 and his M.S. and Ph.D. in aeronautical and astronautical
engineering from Stanford in 1970 and 1971, respectively. Before
coming to Berkeley, he was a professor of ME at MIT from 1974
to 1988. From 1997 to 2003, he served as director of the California
Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways Research Center.
His research focuses on the application of advanced control
theory to a wide variety of vehicle dynamic systems, including
automotive, aircraft and ocean vehicles. (Peg
Skorpinski photo)
|
Professor Minute with ME professor J. Karl Hedrick
What first inspired you
to go into engineering?
My dad was an aerospace engineer, and I got an introduction to what
engineers do at a very early age. I liked it.
To date, what has been
the most memorable moment in your career?
I get the most enjoyment out of keeping in touch with my doctoral students.
I have been fortunate to have had many, many outstanding Ph.Ds both
here and at MIT.
If you had a few extra
hours, what would you do?
Play tennis.
What should engineering
students make sure they do at Berkeley before they graduate?
Undergraduate engineers should take as many humanities courses as possible.
They are being educated as undergrads and will be trained later as
grad students.
What are you currently reading?
I am currently finishing the The World Is Flat: A Brief
History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas Friedman.
What is one thing you would like to learn how to do?
Hit a backhand topspin lob.
If you would like us
to feature your favorite professor, please e-mail his or her name to
engnews@coe.berkeley.edu.
|
