Dr. Nathan Delson

Biography

Nathan Delson received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He began his academic career at Yale University, where he served as the Director of the Engineering Design Studio. In 1999, Dr. Delson returned to his alma mater, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where he currently holds the position of Teaching Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. His contributions to engineering education include the introduction of hands-on design courses for freshmen, expansion of capstone design courses, and initiation of courses focused on product design and entrepreneurship. Delson's engineering research emphasizes applications in robotics, control systems, and medical devices, as well as the development of simulators for medical training. He is also interested in innovative methods to enhance student motivation, creativity, and teamwork in project-based learning environments. Delson co-developed a software application that utilizes freehand sketching on touchscreens to improve students' spatial visualization abilities. In addition to his academic roles, he was the founding faculty director of the EnVision Arts Engineering Maker Studio from 2016 to 2019 and is a faculty affiliate at the UC San Diego Design Lab. He has co-founded companies and holds 10 patents in his field.

Research Interests

Experience