Ronald D. Matthews
Professor
Mechanical Engineering
Carl J. Eckhardt Fellow in Mechanical Engineering
Phone: (512) 471-3108
Fax: (512) 471-1045
Email: rdmatt@mail.utexas.edu
Dr. Ron Matthews earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering with a
specialization in combustion from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1977. He joined the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin in
1980. He directs the General Motors Foundation Combustion Sciences and
Automotive Research Labs. In 2002, Matthews was selected as a fellow of
the Society of Automotive Engineers, an honor bestowed to fewer than 20
people out of the more than 65,000 society members each year.
Dr. Matthews does research in the field of engines. Recently, he has focused on
alternative fuels, emissions control, the spark ignition process, and engine
friction. Among Matthews’ outstanding research is an on-board distillation system
for gasoline-powered vehicles, which he designed in collaboration with a graduate
student. The system reduces hydrocarbon emissions by 82 percent and was patented by
the University and Ford Motor Company in 2001. His teaching style includes a very
hands-on approach¬his students design and build cars, the quintessential experience
for conventional mechanical engineers. Matthews founded
Formula SAE, an intercollegiate student engineering design competition in which students design
race cars, with four teams competing at UT for the first competition in 1981. The
year-long competition now draws more than 350 teams and has six international
affiliates.
Research interests:
- Alternative fuels
- Emissions
- Engine modeling