9/8/2025
Written by
Effective this semester, Professor Leo Chamorro began service to the department the new Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs.
Chamorro completed his doctorate in 2010 at the University of Minnesota. After three years as a Research Associate at Minnesota, he joined MechSE as an assistant professor in 2013, becoming associate professor in 2019, and professor in 2024. He leads a vibrant research program in experimental fluid mechanics, with applications in wind and hydrokinetic energy, advanced flow diagnostics, flow-structure interactions, geophysical flows, and boundary layer processes. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in fluid mechanics and frequently appears on the List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent.
Chamorro takes the reins from Professor Sanjiv Sinha, who served for six years in the role. Sinha led MechSE’s Undergraduate Programs Office through extremely challenging times as well as significant growth in undergraduate enrollment.
“Remember the COVID-pivot of 2020, when our labs and classrooms went silent, and we tried to map our way through the unknown? Sanjiv played a key role in helping us through that. He also led us through a period in which enrollment grew by about 30%,” said Department Head Tony Jacobi. “I deeply appreciate Sanjiv’s willingness to step forward and serve MechSE. He has generously given us his careful attention to detail, his ability to see the big picture and lead strategically, and his steadfast commitment to our students.”
Additionally, Jacobi announced that Professor Mariana Kersh has agreed to serve as MechSE Diversity Advocate and Director of Community, Opportunity and Engagement (COE).
After completing her doctorate in 2010 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Kersh enrolled at the University of Melbourne, Australia, as a McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow. She then joined MechSE as assistant professor in 2014 and was promoted to associate professor in 2021. She is a full-time faculty member at the Beckman Institute, serving as the co-chair for Integrative Imaging. She is also a Health Innovation Professor in the Carle-Illinois College of Medicine. Kersh leads research in biomechanics, with an emphasis on musculoskeletal mechanics. She has an exceptional record of service to our campus and has been an important contributor to the department’s COE efforts.
In this role of expanded leadership, she will continue to advocate for diversity in MechSE and The Grainger College of Engineering. She will also chair the MechSE COE Committee, and she will join the MechSE Administrative Committee to provide broader guidance in departmental decision making.