Steven C. DeCaluwe

Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Education and Professional Experience

• I joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2012 following an NRC postdoctoral fellowship at NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland. My work at NIST used neutron scattering experiments to study solid electrolyte interphase formation in lithium-ion batteries and water uptake in thin-film polymers for PEM fuel cells.

• My PhD is from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2009. Dissertation: "Quantifying the role of ceria as catalyst in solid oxide fuel cell anodes." My work at UMD involved electrochemical experiments, in operando physical chemistry diagnostics, and multiscale simulations.

• I taught first and second grade for three years in Nashville, Tennessee, before attending graduate school.

• My Bachelor of Science degree is in Elementary Education and Mathematics from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University in 2000.

Research Overview

Visit the CORES Research Group site to learn about projects, publications and group members!

My research interests center on clean energy and water systems, with a focus on electrochemistry and interfacial processes. My group's work combines fundamental experiments with numerical simulations to study the chemical, thermodynamic and fluid mechanic processes occurring at material interfaces and in reacting flows. Via fundamental insight into these processes, we can design and improve technologies to enhance the quality of life for diverse populations and ease the impacts of human resource use on critical ecosystems and habitats across the globe.

The figure below gives an overview of my research philosophy, how the different activities in my group fit together, and the iterative nature of scientific discovery and engineering design:

Teaching Overview

Visit the DeCaluwe Teaching page to learn more about courses taught, class activities, and other teaching and mentoring activities.

My teaching philosophy is heavily influenced by three key concepts:

•  Constructivist learning theory
•  Active learning techniques
•  A growth-based (rather than "fixed") mindset

I believe that all students are capable of success, but that deep, permanent learning requires communication among all class participants, which allows the instructor to create engaging and meaningful learning experiences that challenge students at the appropriate level and connect prior experiences and concepts to new ideas.

In my classrooms you will see a mixture of different activities, including not just lecture but also small group work, individual problem solving, and open-ended conversations. These are designed to foster greater student engagement in the learning process, promote interaction, and provide critical, real-time feedback and insight into student understanding of course concepts and mastery of skills.

Service

One of the great gifts of working in academia is that we are given space and encouraged to help shape the communities in which we work and live.  Here are some of my main service activities.  Please email if you want to discuss any of them!

• Chair: Mechanical Engineering Diversity, Inclusion, and Access Committee.
• Associate Editor: ASME's Journal of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage
• Organizing Committee / Local Chair: 2022 American Conference on Neutron Scattering
• Board Member: Colorado School of Mines Shared Instrumentation Facility
• Director: Colorado School of Mines Rocky Mountain Environmental XPS Facility

Engineering Values

Schedule