Bill Best is a professor of practice in the mechanical engineering and mechanics department and is the co-director of the IDEAS (Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts, and Sciences) honors degree. His interests revolve around the technical, social, cultural and political aspects of engineering disasters. Over the course of his 25+ year teaching career, he has taught numerous courses in electrical, mechanical, and bioengineering, and has developed and taught courses in engineering design, engineering ethics, the social impact of technology, technological catastrophes and the sociology of technology.
Affiliations:
Co-director, Integrated Degree of Engineering, Arts, and Sciences
Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Program
Education:
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University, 1981
M.S., Engineering Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 1984
Research Interests:
Ethical Issues in Engineering
Social Implications of Technology
Technology and Public Policy
Biomechanics
Mathematical Modeling of Physiological Systems