Each week, the College of Engineering features an outstanding member of the engineering community to be part of our spotlight campaign. This week, we are highlighting mechanical engineering professor at Cal Poly Maritime Academy, Mike Holden.
What brought you to Cal Poly Maritime Academy?
I knew going into graduate school that I wanted to be a professor at a school that values teaching. I also like boats and sailing, so Cal Poly Maritime Academy seemed like a pretty great place to work. I feel like Cal Maritime has an impact on its students and the industry that is much larger than its size might suggest, and it is rewarding to be a part of that.
What is your background and the path that led you to your role at Cal Poly Maritime Academy?
I double majored in aeronautical and mechanical engineering for my undergraduate degree at the University of California, Davis. Then I went to Stanford for my doctorate in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. I worked at a drone startup for a few years after I graduated, mostly writing flight control and telemetry software, but since it was a small company, I was able to work on most of the aircraft systems. My first professor position was at San Francisco State University’s Mechanical Engineering Department, but I was happy to move to Cal Poly Maritime Academy when a position opened up in 2007, and I have been here ever since.
I have been a windsurfer and sailor most of my life. I studied aerospace engineering because I wanted to understand the way sails work. I was on the UC Davis sailing team and worked as a sailmaker for a few summers. I don’t have any commercial ship engineering experience, but many students and faculty members share my interests on the water.
I live in Martinez with my wife, Jen, a pediatrician, and our dog, Casey. We have two sons. Our older son, Nate, is pursuing a master’s degree in music education at Longy in Boston, and our younger son, Jack, is a senior at San Diego State University studying jazz piano.
What are some of the upcoming projects you are working on?
Over the years, I have developed several autonomous boats with my students for missions such as oceanographic measurements and harbor mapping. I am always looking for new applications for autonomous vessels and enjoy collaborating with my colleagues and students. I submitted a proposal to the Summer Undergraduate Research Program for the first time and am hopeful it will be selected for funding. It would involve analyzing data quality from depth sensors on a small autonomous boat.
What are some of the things you hope students take away from their training at Cal Maritime?
I hope my students leave here with a love for engineering and the ability to understand how things work. I believe our program delivers strong technical knowledge, hands-on application and the ability to function as part of a team.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I particularly like teaching the engineering labs. The smaller class sizes allow me to get to know the students better, and the courses are very hands-on. I teach the mechatronics, instrumentation and measurements labs, and sometimes the circuits labs as well.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I have recently gotten into wingfoiling. The windy season on San Francisco Bay is during the summer, so wingfoiling works well with the academic schedule. I have also done a lot of windsurfing and sailboat racing over the years. My wife and I just got a van, and we are having fun camping and traveling as a couple now that our kids are grown.
How does engineering apply to your daily life?
I love to make things. Whether it’s a coffee mug shelf with LED lights to randomly select the morning mugs, a remote-controlled lawnmower or a chicken-coop door that automatically lets the birds out, I use many of the topics from my mechatronics class around my house for fun.
By Taylor Villanueva
