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After 14 years as director of the engineering division, Michael Paolino stepped down and returned to full-time teaching in 2000 as the Charles A. Dana Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He was given a yearlong sabbatical before returning to the classroom last fall.
“I enjoy being in the classroom,” Paolino says. “I always managed to teach one course a semester as director. Often the highlight of my day as director was being in the classroom.”
While on sabbatical, Paolino explored subjects he had always wanted to, but never had the time. He traveled to Italy to study Leonardo da Vinci and his mechanical engineering inventions. He had been there previously on a spring interim course in Florence with Profs. Diane Ahl of art and Rado Pribic of international affairs. He enjoyed the experience immensely, and was inspired to return to Italy.
“My wife and I were in Milan, where Leonardo had his greatest success and gained his fame,” says Paolino. “It was a wonderful experience visiting the many museums that feature Leonardo’s works.” They also toured two museums of da Vinci’s mechanical devices in Vinci, near Florence, Leonardo’s birthplace. He visited the intact walled city of Lucca, Portofino, Perugia, Naples, and Sorrento. A highlight of the trip was a visit to the village of San Clemente, from which his maternal grandparents emigrated. “San Clemente is still very poor,” he says. “I was able to find the church where my grandparents were baptized and married. I was warmly welcomed by the residents. Their reception was absolutely phenomenal. It was touching and inspiring.”
“I consider myself a novice student of Leonardo,” says Paolino. “He created some wonderful illustrations of the human body by dissecting cadavers at night. Because of his artistic ability, Leonardo was also able to represent on paper the thoughts and ideas of the great engineers of his time. Many of the machines he illustrated were in use during his lifetime. He frequently turned down painting commissions to do his scientific studies. He left jobs undone and walked away from commissions to do what interested him.” Paolino adds he would like to work with students and build some of the machines from Leonardo’s drawings.
Under Paolino the engineering program solidified its academic reputation and continued a long history of excellence. Lafayette ranks first among all U.S. colleges that grant only bachelor’s degrees in the number of graduates who went on to earn doctorates in engineering between 1920-1995, according to “Baccalaureate Origins of Doctoral Recipients,” a study by Franklin and Marshall College.
“Under Mike Paolino’s leadership, Lafayette engineering has become one of the finest undergraduate engineering programs in the United States,” says Trustee Carl G. Anderson, Jr. ’67, president and CEO of abc School Supply, Inc., Atlanta, Ga. “During his service as director of engineering, there was a consistent strong focus on the students and the quality of the program. Importantly, these principles have continued into the administration of Jim Schaffer. As director, Mike encouraged and motivated the entire engineering faculty to seek out the most academically gifted candidates and then take the necessary steps to provide them with an outstanding engineering education.
“Further, Mike has encouraged creativity and innovation, in teaching, in recruiting top students, and in the operation of the Engineering Division,” Anderson continues. “In this he led by example, both in the classroom and in attracting students. Mike has also been a tireless fundraiser for the Engineering Division. His enthusiasm for the program and the students makes it a pleasure for alumni and friends to provide support. It has been a great pleasure to know Mike and observe his dedication to Lafayette and commitment to excellence in engineering education.”
Paolino credits his successes as director of engineering to the support and assistance of others, such as Provost June Schlueter and President Arthur Rothkopf. “It was always pleasant to deal with them,” he says. “They were always willing to listen, and work to reach an accommodation. It was a partnership.” He praises Nancy Ball, now director of sponsored programs, for opening doors and encouraging him to go out on the road and meet alumni. “We made many friends among alumni,” he says. “We laid the groundwork for the future. Part of the success of the campaign came from the engineering alumni we had cultivated.” He credits Gary Evans, vice president of development, for his personal interest in the renovations to the engineering complex. “It was his personal relationship with Mr. (Sarkis) Acopian that made it possible to realize our dream of renovating the buildings.”
He is very proud of the student body. “We have increasingly attracted better and better students,” he says. “We’ve always had talented students in engineering, but now there are more of them. Instead of 20 out of 100 outstanding students, now it’s 60 out of 100.” He says for the most part, the students are dedicated, hardworking and want to learn. “With Lafayette’s small classes, it’s impossible for students to hide. Parents are getting every penny’s worth of their money in engineering.” He is also proud of the way the faculty support the activities of the engineering division.
“When I came here, this was a good program,” he says. “It’s an even better program now. We have attracted a really talented faculty and we have strong alumni support.”
Paolino began his career in the Army. “I joined ROTC in college for the monthly stipend juniors and seniors were paid,” he says. “I didn’t fully realize what I was getting into and was shocked when I found out about the required (ROTC) summer camp.” He served two combat tours in Vietnam, a tour in Germany during the Berlin Crisis, and was a research and development engineer at Redstone Arsenal before joining the faculty at West Point for 13 years. He came to Lafayette in 1986.
Paolino teaches courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. Over the years, his research interests have been in thermo-fluid sciences, including computational fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
Publications: numerous articles in leading journals, such as Journal of Heat Transfer, Journal of Metals, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, and Journal of Applied Mechanics.
Honors: named Charles A. Dana Professor of Mechanical Engineering, 2000; Daniel Golden Class of 1934 Faculty Service Award, 2000; Ralph Teetor Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers, 1979.
Accomplishments: Director of Engineering, 1986-2000; Professor of Mechanical Engineering, US Military Academy, West Point, 1973-1986; Colonel, U.S. Army, 1960-1986.
Contact: (610) 330-5406; paolinom@lafayette.edu
