Rate My Professor Mark Sivak

Mark Sivak serves as a Teaching Professor jointly appointed between the Department of Art + Design in the College of Arts, Media, and Design and the College of Engineering at Northeastern University. He holds the position of Creative Media Division Head and Program Director for the MS in Product Development. A triple alumnus of Northeastern University, Sivak received his BS in Mechanical Engineering in 2007, MS in Mechanical Engineering in 2009, and PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering in 2012. His research interests encompass experience and product design for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), 3D printing applications in health and education, and games for health and education. Sivak oversees the 3D Printing Studio located in Snell Library and instructs a variety of design and technology courses across both colleges, including Design Process Context and Systems, Experience Design, Programming Basics, Physical Computing, Interaction Team Degree Projects, and Engineering Cornerstone courses.

Sivak has co-founded several startup companies, serving as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and participated in the MassChallenge innovation accelerator programs in 2013 and 2015. He holds numerous patents stemming from his engineering and design innovations. His publications include “Feasibility of Virtual Reality Augmented Cycling for Health Promotion of People Post-Stroke” in the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy (2013), “Modular Mechatronic System for Stationary Bicycles Interfaced with Virtual Environment for Rehabilitation of Patients Post Stroke” in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation (2014), “SQUID: Smartphone-Based Sensorized Shirt for Home Rehabilitation and Monitoring” presented at the IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (2013), “Development of a Low-Cost Virtual Reality-based Smart Glove for Rehabilitation” at the International Conference on Disability, Virtual Reality & Associated Technologies (2012), and “Cranking Up Cornerstone: Lessons Learned from Implementing a Pilot with First-Year Engineering Students” at ASEE’s 123rd Annual Conference & Exposition (2016). Sivak has mentored undergraduate teams to multiple awards at Northeastern’s Research, Innovation and Scholarship Expo (RISE), including Best Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Project in 2012, 2014, and 2016, and the Entrepreneurship Award in 2012.