PhilipSchmidt

About

Philip Schmidt served as a Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellow at Prairie View AM College from 1968 to 1970, then joined the faculty at UT Austin. He retired from active teaching and research in 2013 and currently holds the title of Professor Emeritus.

Schmidt taught courses in thermodynamics and design of thermal-fluid systems, as well as short courses on industrial electrotechnology. He was co-founder of the Equal Opportunity in Engineering Program and of the Engineering Instructional Media Laboratory (now the Faculty Innovation Center) and served as Associate Chair for Undergraduate Development and Director of the PROCEED (Project-Centered Education) Program in the ME Department from 1998 until his retirement.

Schmidt’s research focused on the optimization of energy efficiency in industrial processes. From 1981 to 2002, he was Head of the Process Energetics Program in the Center for Energy and Environmental Resources. He published over 80 articles in the research literature and is the author or coauthor of three books and several book chapters. While on sabbatical leave in 1981-82, he served as senior consultant-in-residence at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Throughout his career, he consulted with numerous corporations, national laboratories and state and federal government organizations on matters pertaining to industrial energy efficiency and process waste reduction.

Educational Qualifications

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 1968
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 1965
• B.S., Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1962

Select Awards & Honors

• Chester Carlson Award – American Society for Engineering Education (2010)
• Academy of Distinguished Alumni, Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering (2009)
• Chancellor’s Council Teaching Excellence Award – The University of Texas at Austin (2009)
• Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award – The University of Texas System (2009)
• Academy of Distinguished Teachers – The University of Texas at Austin (1995)
• Texas Professor of the Year – Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (1994)
• Ralph Coats Roe Award from the American Society for Engineering Education (1992)

Select Publications