Rate My Professor Mehmet Sozen

Mehmet Sozen, PhD, serves as Professor and Program Chair of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Grand Valley State University. He joined the Padnos College of Engineering in fall 2007, following a combined sixteen years of teaching at Southern University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Dr. Sozen obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University, where he also held a post-doctoral research associate position. His graduate studies were preceded by an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Petroleum and Minerals and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Middle East Technical University. His research has been funded by NASA, NSF, and Abbott Laboratories.

Dr. Sozen's expertise centers on thermo-fluid sciences and alternative energy systems, encompassing wind energy assessment, solar energy optimization including optimal inclination angles for fixed panels and PV system monitoring, heat transfer in porous media, thermal energy storage using sensible and latent heat, fluid flow through packed beds, and condensing flow in multiphase transport. Notable publications include "Wind Energy Assessment Using a Wind Turbine With Dynamic Yaw Control" (2013), "Optimal Angle of Inclination for Fixed Solar Panels/Collectors" (2011), "Program Development for Monitoring and Analyzing the Data from a Solar PV System" (2010), "From a Traditional Combustion Course to an Alternative and Renewable Energy Course" (2009), and "Enhanced Heat Transfer in Round Tubes With Porous Inserts" (1996). He has received summer faculty fellowships from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Argonne National Laboratory, and the US Naval Research Laboratory. In 2025, Dr. Sozen was honored as Co-op Advisor of the Year at Grand Valley State University. He contributes to graduate programs as faculty and has advised numerous master's theses on topics such as aerodynamics, CFD studies, and renewable energy applications.