BOY WONDER: Professor Krueger says he models himself after professors he’s had at Cal. Photo:Paul Krueger

Engineering alum becomes SMU prof before age 30

Cal engineering alum Paul Krueger liked college so much that he went back – this time as a professor.

At 27, Krueger is the youngest assistant professor in his engineering department at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. “In my department I am the youngest by three years, though I am trying to catch up to the other professors,” jokes Krueger.

Krueger got his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Berkeley in 1997, and then received a Ph.D. from Cal Tech in 2001 in aeronautics.
Krueger began his teaching career two months ago as a professor of fluid mechanics.

So far he says he likes teaching, but isn’t a fan of grading assignments. Also, while he enjoys interacting with his students, he admits it can be hard to keep them engaged during an 8 a.m. class.

Krueger uses his youth to relate to his students. “I try to remember what it was like when I took this class, but four to five years can really dull your memory,” he laughs.

Krueger also uses the ME instructors he had at Cal as role models for his own teaching.

While he lauds all his professors, Krueger did name several favorites. He fondly remembers ME professors Benson Tongue, Patrick Pagni, Van Carey, and Dennis Lieu, who he called a “perennial favorite”.

Krueger chose academia over industry because he wanted more freedom to pursue his engineering interests. “At a small university like SMU, I can choose what to teach,” he says. The only constraint he feels in academia is getting funding.
Krueger’s interests as an undergrad were fluid mechanics and dynamics. His current research interests fall in the biological applications of that field, like studying how squid propel themselves through water and how blood flows through a vessel.

While at Cal, Krueger was involved with engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi and mechanical engineering student society, Pi Tau Sigma.

Senior year he was president of the student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Krueger says he started the ASME student professor dinner while he was at Cal, an event that now has two ASME officers dedicated to organizing it.

Krueger says he misses being a student at Cal, despite the deluge of work. He spent his first two years in “workaholic mode”, but began to relax and managed to have more fun as an upperclassman.

His advice to engineering students (both as a professor and former student) is to have more fun and to get to know professors better. Students can learn more from talking to professors outside of class than burying themselves in their books, he says.

“It is important to study, but not to study too much. My regret is that I didn’t realize that until my junior or senior year,” says Krueger.

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