Harold J. Schock | Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering

Harold J. Schock is responsible for establishing MSU as one of the premier universities for automotive research. He has led various teams in groundbreaking research on turbine, diesel and rotary engines. His expertise centers on improving engine efficiency using advanced design, the utilization of biofuel and the conversion of waste heat to electricity.

During his tenure at MSU, Schock and colleagues have published more than 180 articles on automotive engine research and related topics. Schock guides graduate students and teaches them how to conduct research and is responsible for undergraduate mechanical engineering courses related to automobile engines. To help his students become future automotive leaders, Schock regularly invites prominent people from industry to augment his students’ exposure to the best practices and newest technology.

Schock’s successful efforts to attract substantial funding for automotive research recently culminated in the establishment of the Energy and Automotive Research Laboratory at MSU: a 40,000 square-foot, $10 million automotive research center. He has also evaluated more than 100 research proposals for NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Army, and his professional status has been recognized by the election to Fellow Grade in the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Says Schock: “I am honored to be selected as a Distinguished Faculty at MSU and grateful for the opportunity to work with many dedicated colleagues and students during the past two decades. Michigan State is strategically located in the heart of the transportation industry with the automotive companies in greater Detroit and the corporate headquarters and research facilities of the major heavy-duty engine manufacturers only a few hours to the south in Indiana and to the west in Illinois. With our land-grant university heritage and science-based thinking, we will continue to make contributions that provide economic growth and energy security for our nation and great career opportunities for our students.”