Alexander J. De Rosa

Associate Professor & Director of the Design Studio

EDUCATION

PhD | Mechanical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University
MEng | Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London
BEng | Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Alexander J. De Rosa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware (UD). Dr. De Rosa received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (2015) from The Pennsylvania State University, where he also served as a Graduate Teaching Fellow.

At UD, Dr. De Rosa focuses on engineering education and teaches broadly across the mechanical engineering curriculum from first-year design, all the way through to the College of Engineering’s Interdisciplinary Capstone Design Course, which he co-leads. Dr. De Rosa also directs The Design Studio, a nationally recognized academic makerspace for design education at UD.

Dr. De Rosa’s federally funded research focuses on improving educational experiences through the creation and promotion of new teaching tools and techniques. He is particularly interested in the areas of deeper learning and the transfer of learning, where he is working to help students better apply their knowledge and skills in new contexts, including in their future careers. He also leads work aimed at creating inclusive learning environments for all engineering students, particularly in and around makerspaces and other hands-on learning facilities.

Dr. De Rosa has received numerous university and national awards for his teaching and service, including the 2022 Outstanding New Mechanical Engineering Educator Award from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). Locally, his commitment to student success has been recognized with the 2024 UD Excellence in Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring Award and the 2025 College of Engineering Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising. His work in spatial skills assessment and the dissemination of hands-on mechanical engineering curricula has also been nationally recognized by the ASEE.

 

RESEARCH AREAS

• Engineering Education

FACULTY EXPERTISE

• Engineering Education
• Combustion Science
• Product Design