Dr. Nesrin Ozalp is the founding chair of mechanical engineering in the new College of Engineering at Illinois State University. Educated at Stanford University and the University of Washington, Ozalp is eager to share her knowledge and experience with students when they start arriving on campus in the fall of 2025. She plans to nurture a strong, collaborative relationship between academia and industry, while encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit in her students.
Ozalp, who has been in town for about six months, has been impressed by the warm welcome she and her colleagues have received since arriving in Normal. She took a few minutes to share her thoughts about this exciting new endeavor that the University is embarking on.
What made you interested in coming to Illinois State University to help start the new College of Engineering?
This is an exceptional opportunity for any engineer, teacher, or administrator to contribute to a program that is starting from the ground up. To be the person taking part in shaping this new mechanical engineering program is indeed a dream come true as it enables the creation of an educational pathway for the next generation of engineers. To meet the expectations of parents, students, and industry—and aligning with the expectations of the community to serve the betterment of our planet and the environment by developing clean engineering systems—makes this an incredible opportunity. And being part of ISU with its rich history and reputation, I am so honored and so privileged to have this once-in-a-career opportunity.
What are you most excited about as the founding chair of mechanical engineering?
I am excited that I will be able to take all these years of career opportunities and experiences and pour all that into this new job—including all of my networking, my job experiences, my research, and my teaching. It will allow me to further shine, and I can pass what I know on to this new generation of students. The students will be prepared to get started with their careers immediately, bringing pride to their parents. The industry will be satisfied to see the preparedness of the students. I see this as the next stage of happiness in my life, and I will be channeling all my experiences into this role.
What can prospective students expect from the mechanical engineering track, and what makes the profession important?
First, our students will know that we share in their excitement as they make good things for this planet. We will provide them a lot of hands-on experience via experiments and projects, and we will work closely with the industry. The education we offer will extend beyond textbook knowledge. We will establish excellent laboratories in our freshly renovated engineering building. Students can expect to be designing new machines and machine parts that will serve for a cleaner environment and more efficient use of our planet’s resources. They will feel great excitement about studying mechanical engineering and being an engineer. They will work on interesting projects involving robotics, AI (artificial intelligence) applications for environmental sustainability, automation in agriculture, as well as learning about advancements in aerospace machinery, including space shuttle development and the creation of innovative tools for medicine and advanced surgeries. They will discover their skills and further improve them while they learn that their designs and creativity are a very important part of our society and industry. They will feel the excitement of working for the betterment of our society and our planet, and they will be very proud of the creative work they do.
Can you talk about your research and how you will incorporate it into your teaching?
My research is on clean energy. I design engines that do not release harmful emissions into the environment. The primary focus of my research is on hydrogen production, which is the cleanest fuel with significantly higher energy content than fossil fuels. My design involves use of solar energy to make the process cleaner. I just filed a new patent on my research in November on clean hydrogen production. I will provide students many research project opportunities to be involved in hydrogen production and use of hydrogen. This will include a lot of CAD (computer-aided design software) drawing of the engine parts and the engine, and they’ll be using machine shops to build and manufacture some parts of the engine—not all the parts because some of it is very complicated. They will get experience in design, in manufacturing, and in testing. Eventually, students will have the opportunity to file their own patents, which then opens the way for entrepreneurship.
You’re obviously passionate about your work, so who inspired your interest in engineering back when you were getting started?
Growing up, my dad, a successful engineer at home was my greatest inspiration, and I learned a lot about many things from him. As for the world of engineers throughout history, Leonardo da Vinci inspired me the most when I was little. As for my current research, my thesis advisors and many colleagues have been inspirational. One iconic engineer who has inspired me is Nikola Tesla, especially for his groundbreaking vision of utilizing wireless transmission of power. If we could generate solar power in space in so called “space farms” and then transmit it through satellites it would be free for everyone like Tesla dreamed of. We wouldn’t need power plugs on our walls or power stations across the country because it would come from satellites for free and be wireless, just like the wireless transmission of sound and photos via mobile phones.
I believe that engineering is an art and also deeply rooted in history. Creative engineering is essential for agriculture, medicine, and for many other aspects of humankind. I like giving back, and being an engineer is making a contribution to society.
The College of Engineering will welcome its first group of students in fall 2025 and graduate its first student in spring 2029. Illinois State University’s newest college will be housed in an 80,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art College of Engineering Complex scheduled to open in summer 2026.
