Rate My Professor Zane Gastineau

Dr. Zane Gastineau serves as the Department Chair, Professor, and Director of Electrical Engineering in the Department of Engineering & Physics at Harding University. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Methodist University, earned between 1995 and 1998; a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Wright State University, from 1988 to 1993; and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kentucky, from 1982 to 1987. Before joining Harding University in 2002, Dr. Gastineau worked at the United States Air Force Research Laboratory. As the founding chair of the Engineering & Physics Department, he has overseen the recruitment of faculty, multiple successful accreditation processes, and the creation of new programs in computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, and civil engineering. Under his leadership, the department grew to 230 majors by fall 2018. In May 2019, he was appointed Dean of the College of Sciences at Harding University.

Dr. Gastineau's academic interests encompass control theory, robotics, autonomous systems, machine health monitoring, multidisciplinary engineering design, electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and control systems. His research has focused on areas such as jet engine control, robust model-based control, turbofan engine control, modeling and simulation, flight dynamics, and systems dynamics. He has authored or co-authored several publications, including "Turbine Engine Performance Improvements—A Proactive Approach" (2002), "Robust model-based control for jet engines" (1998), "Quantitative Nyquist array feedback design" (1995), "Robust multivariable turbofan engine control: A case study" (1995), "Tracking filter selection and control mode selection for model based control" (1994), and "Intelligent Engine Control (IEC)" (1992). These works, primarily conference papers and articles, have contributed to advancements in propulsion technology and engine health management, with a total of 81 citations. Dr. Gastineau is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He teaches courses including Electromechanics, Controls 1, Controls 2, and Microprocessors.