Course responsibilities of T. KORAKIANITIS

An education is great thing to have only if you do not think it makes you a better person than those who do not have it (paraphrased from unknown source)

THE IMPORTANCE OF (AND IMBALANCE BETWEEN) TEACHING AND RESEARCH

A graduate mechanical engineer can study back-to-back a book in Korakianitis' areas of teaching responsibility and instruct others on the topic. If that is what students are looking for, Korakianitis insists they should not pay Washington-University tuition to take his classes (they can purchase this instruction at a less expensive price at a community college of their choice). In Korakianitis' personal experience from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, the best teachers are usually the best researchers, because they bring in their classes the latest scientific advances in their fields.

The reason students want to take Korakianitis' classes is that he brings in them what he has learned from his research and the research of his colleagues and competitors in these areas, thus encouraging critical thinking, analysis and synthesis in the specific topic. The material covered in his lectures comes from several books, from the research conducted by his research group, and from presentations of top researchers in the field at engineering conferences or from their publications in archival journals. In most cases he uses an optional textbook, but it serves only as a departure point for discussions on how to use (and when not to use) the material in diverse scientific applications. Following the example of the universities he attended, the theoretical material is emphasized with diverse examples from engineering practice.

The foremost responsibility of what we should call a University to the society that supports it is the quality of education it provides. In Korakianitis' opinion a pre-requisite for excellence in teaching is excellence in research on the same topic. So when you find him conducting research (which occupies most of his hours each week except for the few hours he is lecturing), consider that in conducting research he is preparing material for his next class.

Most of the following courses are NOT offered every year; they are on a two-year rotation. Details are in the individual links in the table above.

GRADUATE COURSES:

ME 512, General Thermodynamics
ME 578, Analysis and Design of Piston Engines
ME 574, Analysis and Design of Turbomachinery

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES:

ME 404/404a/404b, Our senior, capstone course in Mechanical Engineering Design
ME 320A, Undergraduate junior Thermodynamics
ME 147, Introduction to Internal Combustion Engines

Click the left arrow to return to T. Korakianitis' main page