Assistant Department Head and Professor, Engineering
prinsrj@jmu.edu
Contact Info
Education
- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech (2005)
- M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia (1996)
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Michigan Tech (1993)
Experience
Before returning to academics to pursue his Ph.D., Professor Prins worked for five years at Perceptron Inc. in the roles of Applications Evaluation Engineer and Product Engineer in the field of machine vision, followed by one year as a suspension engineer at Visteon Inc., an OEM for the automobile industry. He was a faculty member in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Virginia State University before coming to JMU.
Research Interests
Professor Prins is actively involved in building external relationships for the Engineering program, including developing co-op opportunities with local industries and promoting transfer opportunities for Virginia Community College students.
He is an active participant in the continued development and delivery of the Electro-Mechanical concentration with a focus on mechanics courses and associated laboratory experiences. Professor Prins has been an advisor to several vehicle-based capstone projects and advises the Shell Eco-Marathon team with Engineering professor Jason Forsyth. He also teaches an elective in Solid Mechanics that includes a lab component focused on installation and application of strain gages.
He directs independent projects related to vehicle technology and materials. Current/recent vehicle-related projects include testing lithium ion cells to evaluate existing discharge models. Current/recent materials-related projects include testing (tensile, flexure, impact) of 3D-printed parts made from conventional and novel filaments.
