He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology (with Honors) and master’s and Ph.D. degrees, both in mechanical engineering, from Northwestern University. He has received numerous awards, including the John T. Parsons Award from SME (2000), the Newkirk Award from ASME (2000), the Kaneb Center Teaching Award (2000 and 2003), and the Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Excellence in Teaching (2005). He is also the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREERS Award (1996) and an ALCOA Foundation Award (1994).