Rate My Professor Hilary Bart-Smith

Hilary Bart-Smith is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science, joining the faculty in the fall of 2002. She earned a B.Eng. (1st Class) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Glasgow in 1995, an S.M. in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University in 1997, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University in 2000. Prior to UVA, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Princeton Materials Institute from 2000 to 2002. At UVA, she advanced from Assistant Professor (2002-2007) to Associate Professor (2007 onward) and founded the Multifunctional Materials and Structures Laboratory and the Bio-inspired Engineering Research Laboratory. Her research focuses on bio-inspired engineering, including biomechanics of batoid rays for underwater propulsion, development of the Tunabot robotic fish, tensegrity-based morphing structures, lightweight lattice truss materials for load-bearing and impact applications, electroactive polymers as artificial muscles, and deployable space structures. She has secured over $10 million in funding, leading projects such as a $3.5 million ARPA-E award for bio-inspired renewable energy systems and Multi-University Research Initiative efforts on robotic manta rays.