Marc Perlin

Most recently, Professor Perlin joined the faculty of the Ocean Engineering Department at Texas A&M University as a Professor of Ocean Engineering and as the Associate Department Head. Previously, Marc Perlin was a member of the faculty at the University of Michigan for more than 27 years; he joined the faculty there in 1989 after completing his PhD at the University of Florida. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1995, and to Professor in 2004. He was the Director of the Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratory at UM from 2011 through 2016. During sabbaticals in 2014, 2007, and 1997 he was a Visiting Professor at the University College Dublin, the SOTOP Visiting Professor at the University of Ulsan (through the auspices of Hyundai Heavy Industries) and a Visiting Professor at the Tel Aviv University, respectively. He is presently Professor Emeritus of both Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering and of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Furthermore, he is a University Professor at Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China. Prior to his academic career, he spent 10 years in industry, government research, and a consultancy. He is also a Registered Professional Engineer in Virginia.

Over the years, his research program has focused on fluid mechanics, primarily free-surface flows and waves, and more recently on friction drag reduction (i.e. gas injection to generate bubbles or layers and cavities, polymer injection, and hydrophobic surfaces). Regarding the former subject, his wave dynamics research included the publication of two Annual Review of Fluid Dynamics papers. On the latter subject he has published recently a book entitled “Mitigation of Hydrodynamic Resistance”. Principal sources for his more than 35 funded research projects include ONR, DARPA, NASA, and to a lesser extent NSF, JIPs, and NOAA. At present he has more than 130 archival journal publications and conference & symposium contributions. He has advised or co-advised more than 20 Ph.D. students.

During his 27-year tenure at the University of Michigan, he taught 22 distinct courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels including five that he introduced. Although these courses were taught primarily in NA&ME, he has also taught classes in ME, CEE, and AOSS. Course content has included theoretical/analytical as well as laboratory instruction in fluid mechanics and free-surface flows, and related courses in dynamics & vibrations, and probabilistic methods.

Professor Perlin is a Fellow of ASCE; a Member of APS; an Elected Member of Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute; and a Fellow of CILER. He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, and Chi Epsilon Honor Societies.