Brian Lattimer named head of Department of Mechanical Engineering

Professor Brian Lattimer of the College of Engineering has been named head of the Virginia Tech Department of Mechanical Engineering, effective March 10.

In summer 2023, Lattimer was named interim department head following the departure of Azim Eskandarian for the post of dean of engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University. That triggered a national search to fill the post. Following feedback from the department and a dean-appointed committee, Lattimer was chosen to assume the official position from the pool of candidates. 

“We are thrilled to have Brian Lattimer in this role,” said Julie Ross, the Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Dean of Engineering. “His industry expertise and the leadership he has shown in academics is the perfect blend for the future of this program. Mechanical engineering is one of the original programs offered since 1872, and I am excited to see how its legacy continues to grow.”

Since taking the interim post, Lattimer has established new resources for graduate student travel, launched a strategic approach to Ph.D. recruiting, and built the early stages of a framework to foster more industry partnerships.  

His experience in the industrial world spans a decade and a half, first as senior engineer and then vice president of research and development at Jensen Hughes. Since 2007, he has maintained his academic post at Virginia Tech, remaining an adjunct professor in mechanical engineering during his time at Jensen Hugues, then returning to full-time academic work in 2019. 

A triple Hokie, Lattimer earned his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate from the Department of Mechanical Engineering. As a researcher in academia, he has been a principal investigator and co-principal investigator on more than 35 projects totaling over $20 million in funding.  

• His research portfolio includes a collaborative project to develop firefighting foams that are not harmful to the environment as well as extensive work in the field of how structures behave in a fire.  

• According to Google Scholar, his work has been cited nearly 4,000 as of March 2024.

• He has mentored 44 graduate students and over 70 undergraduate students in research. 

• His research has been supported by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, Strategic Environmental Research and Development, Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, Office of Naval Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and various industry sponsors.  

• Lattimer has authored and co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed journal articles and refereed papers in conference proceedings.  

• He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

“This is a pivotal moment at Virginia Tech,” said Lattimer. “I’m excited to continuing working with faculty and staff to build excellence through high quality, impactful teaching and research that will lead to solving complex societal problems.”