Engineering prof recognized for excellence

by Jane Stoyle Welch

This award is given biennially on odd years to a member of the Division for either excellent sustained contributions, or for an outstanding major, singular contribution to education. These contributions can include classroom teaching, short courses and workshop development, course development, lab development, textbook publishing, and software publishing.

Singh, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and director of the Control, Dynamics and Estimation Laboratory, is both a prolific scholar and dedicated educator. His research interests include dynamics and control, nonlinear control, optimal control, flexible structures, nonlinear estimation, data assimilation, system identification, and optimization.

“I am always looking for new ideas to inspire students and for practical examples of control systems in a wide variety of areas, especially in nature. For example, one of my recent PhD students developed more efficient flight patterns based on how birds fly and glide,” says Singh. “In my undergraduate classes, I look beyond the traditional applications of control systems in mechanical and aerospace engineering to other disciplines, such as biomedical engineering, economics, and others so that students can see practical applications of its use,” he added.

Singh has published 95 articles in professional journals, has won numerous best paper awards and delivered dozens of invited seminars at many of the world’s most prestigious universities and research organizations. He is the author of the book “Optimal Reference Shaping for Dynamical Systems: Theory and Applications,” which focuses on precision motion control of vibratory systems.

“With his expertise in control systems, Tarun has developed introductory and advanced courses to train MAE students in multidisciplinary topics so that they are well-prepared for the workforce. He is an outstanding researcher, educator and mentor, and his dedication to knowledge and research-integrated education is an inspiration to the department,” says Francine Battaglia, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Singh is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and ASME, an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a senior member of IEEE. He is the recipient of numerous awards, among them a von Humboldt Fellowship, the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS) Graduate Teaching Award, SEAS Senior Researcher of the Year award, two Riefler awards and the Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers.

He joined the University at Buffalo in 1993 after serving as an assistant research engineer in Texas A&M’s aerospace engineering department.