Alvin Strauss

Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Research Focus

Nuclear Propulsion, Friction Stir Welding, Direct Energy Conversion, Variational Methods in Mechanics, Mechanical Properties of Actinides, Macro-Engineering, Spacecraft Design

Current Projects

The Tennessee Space Grant Consortium 
Professor A. M. Strauss 
The Tennessee Space Grant Consortium is funded via a NASA grant and is based in Vanderbilt's Mechanical Engineering Department. The Consortium's mission is to promote space and science research and education from K-12 to the graduate level. Since 1990, the Consortium has supported Space Grant Fellows within the Mechanical Engineering Department, in other areas of the University, and at its member and affiliate institutions throughout the state. These fellowships provide both tuition and stipend support to qualified students conducting research in space and space education related areas. For more information about the Tennessee Space Grant Consortium, visit its Web site at https://tn.spacegrant.org/.

Advanced Friction Stir Welding
Nuclear Propulsion
Phase Transformations in Actinides
RTGs for Deep Space Missions