Water skiing is one of Erik Hurlen’s favorite hobbies.
By Erik Hurlen’s own admission, he may have been somewhat of a “rolling stone” before finding a home last fall on the Department of Mechanical Engineering faculty at the University of Mississippi.
“I was really looking for a position where teaching, as opposed to research, was the main focus,” the newest instructor said. “After the interview and meeting the other faculty, I knew this is where I wanted to be.”
Before coming to UM, the Vancouver, Canada, native held adjunct faculty positions at several institutions, including Cuyamaca College, New School of Architecture and Design, City College of San Diego, ITT Tech, Sylvan Learning Center and Huntington Learning Center. He has also been a postdoctoral researcher at Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales in France and a graduate researcher in the Environmental Fluids Research Group at the University of California at San Diego.
“My research interests are mainly in the area of fluid mechanics, although I also am involved in some dynamics and analysis,” Hurlen said.
Hurlen is a welcome addition to the department, said A.M. Rajendran, chair and professor of mechanical engineering.
“When I met him in 2014, it did not take much time for me to realize how enthusiastic and committed to teaching,” he said. “Our students not only appreciate his teaching style, but also his willingness to work with them outside the class in a committed manner. We are indeed fortunate that Dr. Hurlen was ready to leave the weather of Southern California behind him for Oxford, Mississippi.”
Hurlen earned both his master’s degree and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from UCSD. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematical physics from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada. Hurlen has an Arizona Department of Education substitute teaching certification and a U.S. Soccer Federation National “D” coaching license.
Fluent in both English and French, he also has a basic knowledge of Spanish and Russian.
“The most fulfilling thing for me is the student evaluations at the end of the semester,” Hurlen said. “Seeing that the students not only learned what they needed to learn, but that they also enjoyed it (is deeply satisfying).”
Hurlen was once an environmental engineering consultant at Trinity Consultants Inc. He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. His extracurricular activities include water skiing and playing and watching soccer.
Hurlen’s parents and brother reside in Vancouver.