Ali Pakniyat is an Assistant Professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alabama. He received the B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Shiraz University, the M.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from McGill University. After holding a Lecturer position at the Electrical and Computer Engineering department of McGill University, and two postdoctoral positions in the department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan and the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at Georgia Tech, he joined the University of Alabama in 2021 where he is now an Assistant Professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering.

His research interests include deterministic and stochastic optimal control, nonlinear and hybrid systems, analytical mechanics and chaos, with applications in automotive industry, sensors and actuators, and robotics.








Academic Appointments:

Assistant Professor                                                                                           2021 - present

University of Alabama
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Postdoctoral Research Fellow                                                                             2019 - 2021

Georgia Institute of Technology
Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines

Postdoctoral Research Fellow                                                                             2017 - 2019

University of Michigan
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Lecturer                                                                                                             2016 - 2017

McGill University
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Educations:

Doctor of Philosophy                                                                                         2011 - 2016

McGill University  |  Electrical and Computer Engineering
Thesis: Optimal Control of Deterministic and Stochastic Hybrid Systems: Theory and Applications
Supervisor: Peter E. Caines

Master of Science                                                                                               2008 - 2010

Sharif University of Technology  |  Mechanical Engineering - Applied Design
Thesis: On the Nonlinear Dynamics and Bifurcations in a New Class of MEMS Gyroscopes with Parametric Resonance
Supervisors: Hassan Salarieh and Aria Alasty

Bachelor of Science                                                                                             2004 - 2008

Shiraz University  |  Mechanical Engineering
Thesis: Solving Differential Equations using Wavelet Transform
Supervisor: Mohammad Eghtesad