- 3072G South Engineering Research Center
- Phone (205) 348-0048
- Fax (205) 348-6419
Dr. W. Steve Shepard Jr.
Professor, Interim Department Head for Mechanical Engineering
Contact
- 3072G South Engineering Research Center
- phone (205) 348-0048
- fax (205) 348-6419
Research Areas
Education
- Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1996
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1993
- B.M.E., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1989
Dr. Steve Shepard conducts fundamental and applied research in the areas of acoustics, vibrations, noise control, and dynamic systems. General topical areas include:
- Development of new modeling and experimental characterization techniques
- Formulation and development of improved inverse and reconstruction methods
- Development and testing of advanced sensors and actuators
- Creation and evaluation of new processing methods for advanced signal interrogation
These areas have included a range of projects from both industrial and government-based sponsors. Graduate students working in Shepard’s Structural Acoustics Lab utilize a range of data acquisition equipment and simulation tools. The University’s reconfigurable hemi-anechoic chamber also provides access to a high-precision experimental capability for a wide range of structure sizes and measurement needs.
Affiliated Areas
Mechanical Engineering
Selected Publications
- W. S. Shepard and J. Davis, “Acoustic methods for regionalizing an impact force acting on a structure,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 143(3), p. 1752 (2018).
- E. Omidi, N. Mahmoodi and W. S. Shepard, Jr., “Multipositive feedback control method for active vibration suppression in flexible structures,” Mechatronics, 33, pp. 23-33 (2016).
- B. Zhang and W. S. Shepard, Jr., “Study of moving sinusoidal wave across simple supported beam for sensor structural configuration,” J. Vib. Acoustics, 136(4), pp. 041009-11, (2014).
- Z. Xie and W. S. Shepard, Jr., “Analytical modeling and analysis of a constrained layer damped plate to examine the Impact of the transverse compressional damping component,” Mech. of Adv. Mat. & Struct., 21(8), pp. 669-679 (2014).
- Z. Xie and W. S. Shepard, Jr., “Development of a new finite element and parametric study for plates with compressible constrained layer damping,” J. Comp. Mat., 46(11), pp. 1263-1273 (2012).
Awards and Honors
- NASA Faculty Fellow
- United States Patent 8,141,667: Hybrid Dinghy Pusher
- United States Patent 10,694,303: System and Methods for Broadcasting Audio
Dr. Shepard's Impact
UA professor, student measure intensity of helmet impacts during collisions
The crack of football helmets is a distinct sound and one that a University of Alabama mechanical engineering professor and his student believe could be analyzed as part of a...
UA Researchers Study Sounds from Colliding Football Helmets as Alternative to Understanding Forces
University of Alabama student Brandon McChristian hopes his research of sound waves generated from colliding football helmets leads to a a better understanding of the forces involved in those collisions and, perhaps one day, enables inexpensive sensing methods for a safer game.