New Faculty Spotlight: Jack Lesko
Jack Lesko joins the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering department in July 2021 as a Professor and Director of Engineering Research, with a joint appointment in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He received his PhD in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Tech. Jack has 30+ years of design and analytical experience as an engineer, with a background in polymer physics, mechanics, and interdisciplinary material system design/characterization. His research and education efforts focus on an emerging interdisciplinary design involving lightweight polymeric multifunctional materials, structural design and reliability, packaging, and energy systems. His work has resulted in several patents on new materials and implementation of in-service structures/systems using new multifunctional technologies and systems, and the creation of standards for their design.
Jack is also the co-founder of PowerHub Systems, a startup in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. PowerHub Systems develops, designs, and manufactures stationary battery electric storage and power processing systems for electric utility distribution systems. Through this startup experience, Jack has initiated problem-based learning pilot programs enabled through interdisciplinary experiences in engineering education and entrepreneurial training. Jack is also a Co-PI for the NSF I-Corps Mid Atlantic Regional Node (DC I-Corps) and is an instructor for both the National and Regional training programs guiding technical professionals through the Lean Startup approach.