Faculty Profiles

Associate Professor of Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering; Associate Professor of Aviation Science

Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences

Welcome to my page! My many interests, as separate as they may seem at a first glance, are all joined by the common thread of structural dynamics. Structural dynamics may be applied from biomechanics and medicine to turbomachinery and to aerospace engineering. While an argument may exist of whether the human body is a more complicated structural dynamic system than a turbine engine, I am excited to be involved in understanding more about these topics.

 

Personal Overview

My expertise lies in the general area of experimental and numerical structural dynamics applied to biomedical and aerospace engineering. As a member of the AIAA Technical Committee on Structural Dynamics, I am fortunate to collaborate with some of the leading scientists and to review some of the most exciting research papers on the topic. I am also interested in aviation research (aerospace medicine) and I am an FAA multi-engine airline transport pilot (ATP) with over 1500 flight hours.

Educational Background

Ph.D. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

M.S. Pennsylvania State University

Diplomat Engineer, Polytechnic University of Bucharest

FAA Airline Transport Pilot, Multiengine, High-performance and High-Altitude Endorsements,  Advanced and Instrument Ground Instructor.

Recognition & Awards

Boeing/ASME Structures Award 2001

Faculty Senate Excellence in Teaching "Bruce Clark" Award 2012

AIAA, Senior Member

AIAA Technical Committee on Structural Dynamics

Current Courses

Aerospace Fundamentals MAE 2201

Mechanics of Materials MAE 3083

Structural Dynamics

Orthopedic Biomechanics MAE 5710

Computer-Aided Engineering MAE 3024

Junior Design

Senior Design I and II MAE 4291 and 4292

Applications of Finite Elements MAE 5060

Aviation Physiology AVS 1202

Professional Experience

Associate Professor, Florida Institute of Technology,  2012 -current

Assistant Professor, Florida Institute of Technology, 2005 - 2012

Research Scientist, PCB Group (PCB Piezotronics & STI Technologies Inc.) 1997-2004

Additional Duties

Past President, Faculty Senate

Sigma Gamma Tau Aerospace National Honor Society Faculty Adviser

Phi Kappa Phi, Member

Current Research

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Design

• Adviser and senior design instructor to Blended Wing-Body UAV senior design team, winner of AIAA Foundation's Student Conference "Best Paper" Award by an undergraduate design team, 2011
• Adviser and senior design instructor to Variable-Aspect Ratio UAV senior design team, winner of Northtrop-Grumman Award for Excellence in Senior Design, 2014

Biomechanics

• Finite element modeling and stress analysis of clavicle bone-prosthesis assembly.
• Finite element design and analysis of retinal stents

Space

• MDA STTR "Life-Remaining Prediction of Printed Circuit Boards"

 

Selected Publications

Rusovici, R., "USPTO 09394804 Apparatus and method for rotating fluid controlling vanes in small turbine engines and other applications", July 2016.

Rusovici, R., Dalli, D., Mitra, K., Grace M, Calhoun, M., Mazzochi, R. , Ganiban, G. "PARAMETRIC STUDIES OF RETINAL STRAIN DISTRIBUTION DUE TO REPAIR STENT USING FINITE ELEMENT MODELING", BioMed 2016.

Pendergast, M., Rusovici, R. "A finite element parametric study of clavicle fixation plates", International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering 01/2015; 31(6). DOI: 10.1002/cnm.2710

Rusovici, R., Dalli, D., Mitra, K., Grace M, Calhoun, M., Mazzochi, R. , Ganiban, G. "Design of Retinal Stent using Finite Element Analysis", Biomedical Engineering Vol. 11, No.1, 2014, ACTA Press.

Rusovici, R., Pendergast M., " Finite Element Modeling of Human Clavicle under Dynamic Loading " Vol. 10, No.1, 2013, ACTA Press.

Rusovici, R., Pendergast M., Ghita, I, O'Brien, J.,"Finite Element Modeling of Human Clavicle under Dynamic Loading" Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference on Biomedical Engineering, BioMed 2013 02/2013; DOI: 10.2316/P.2013.791-165

Rusovici R., Sepri, P., Kwok-Choon, S.T., Feys, J., Archambault, M., ^“Smart Actuation of Inlet Guide Vanes for Small Turbine Engines”,  Vol.1 n.2,2011  December 2011.

Rusovici, R., Offord, C., Phelps, C. "A Coupled Field Finite Element Modeling Procedure for Design of a Synthetic-Jet Actuators", Vol. 22 Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, January 2011.

Rusovici, Razvan ,Dosch, Jeffrey J.; Lesieutre, George A. Design of a single-crystal piezoceramic vibration absorber, Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, v 13, n 11, November, 2002, p 705-712.

Lesieutre, G.A., Rusovici, R.; Koopmann, G.H.; Dosch, J.J. Modeling and characterization of a piezoceramic inertial actuator, Journal of Sound and Vibration, v 261, n 1, Mar 13, 2003, p 93-107.

Rusovici, R.; Lesieutre, G.A.; Inman, D.J. Modeling of shock propagation and attenuation in viscoelastic components,Shock and Vibration, v 8, n 5, 2001, p 287-301.

Rusovici, Razvan; Lesieutre, George A. Design of a single-crystal piezoceramic-driven synthetic-jet actuator, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, v 5390, Smart Structures and Materials 2004 - Smart Structures and Integrated Systems, 2004, p 276-283.

Rusovici, R., Lesieutre, G.A. Investigations of viscoelastic structure behavior using a three-dimensional anelastic displacement field finite element, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, v 5052, 2003, p 151-162