Teaching
Teaching philosophy, current and previous courses, and project-centered instruction.
TeachingMechanical & Aerospace Engineering · University at Buffalo
Engineering design that connects education, research, and industry.
Associate Professor of Practice (primary) · Research Associate Professor (secondary) · ABET Coordinator · Director, Senior Design Lab
I develop experiential engineering programs and applied research that move from real stakeholder needs to evidence-based design, prototyping, testing, and implementation.
Reza Rashidi, PhDEngineering educator, researcher, and industry-engaged academic leader
Impact at a glance
Building systems for student success and applied innovation
Selected measures from my work in senior design, laboratory development, industry engagement, and student mentoring.
200+senior design students coordinated annually
30–45multidisciplinary teams managed each year
50+industry-sponsored and multidisciplinary projects
$100K+project funding and sponsorship secured
3dedicated senior design lab spaces
250+attendees at major annual student events
Explore
A connected academic portfolio
The site is organized around the people, projects, and partnerships that make engineering education and applied research effective.
Research
AI-enabled design, manufacturing, sensors, metamaterials, energy harvesting, and biomedical systems.
ResearchSenior Design
A two-course capstone sequence with authentic, multidisciplinary projects.
Senior DesignPeople & Partnerships
Researchers, student teams, collaborators, and external partners.
Partnerships
Current research
Design, technology, and learning
Current projects span three complementary areas.
AI-enabled design
Decision support and adaptive instructional systems.
Mechanical systems
Metamaterials, manufacturing, sensing, and structural health.
Biomedical devices
Customizable orthodontic systems and implantable sensing concepts.
Student research
Graduate and undergraduate teams working toward prototypes and publications.
Featured senior design
Real problems. Multidisciplinary teams. Tested outcomes.
Semiconductor manufacturing systems
Student teams have addressed scanner monitoring, cup-wash redesign, and chemical-mechanical-planarization equipment challenges through projects with GlobalFoundries.
Promoting Electric Propulsion & NASA Lunabotics
Teams have designed, built, integrated, and tested competition systems for the U.S. Navy Promoting Electric Propulsion Competition and NASA Lunabotics, earning national recognition.
Moog-sponsored project
Student teams also completed sponsored work with Moog, adding to a broader portfolio of aerospace, manufacturing, and automation projects.
Collaboration
Bring an authentic engineering challenge to students and researchers
Companies, faculty members, museums, community organizations, and technical partners can propose projects, provide mentorship, and help students experience professional engineering practice.
Recent highlights
News and accomplishments
July 2026 · Funding
SUNY Academic Innovation Grant
Awarded $30,000 for an AI-enabled open instructional system supporting accessible and scalable engineering design education.
June 2026 · Scholarship
Senior design research at ASEE
Presented a multi-year analysis of a project-centered flipped redesign in the MAE 451–494 capstone sequence.
April 2026 · Student success
First place in electric propulsion
A student team earned first place in the U.S. Navy Promoting Electric Propulsion Competition.