Martin Tanaka

Professor of Mechanical Engineering
School of Engineering and Technology
Belk 338
828-227-2561
mtanaka@wcu.edu

As a faculty member at WCU, I spend my time teaching courses, conducting research, and serving the university and the community. I usually have a few graduate students and some students doing undergraduate research. My research interests include developing innovative biomedical devices, computational modeling, neuromuscular control, and industry-academic partnerships. Most of my research projects have design, build, test, and optimization components stemming from my experience designing products in industry. I am a licensed professional engineer and enjoy working with students and local companies on their projects. Professionally, I serve the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in a variety of leadership roles.  After 26 years of membership, I was honored as an ASME fellow. My degrees are in mechanical engineering (NCSU), engineering mechanics (VT), and biomedical engineering from Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University.