PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (April 27, 2022) – Jeffrey Streator, Ph.D., may be new to Prairie View A&M University this year, but he brings with him more than 30 years of experience in mechanical engineering.
Jeffrey Streator, Ph.D.
Streator, a professor and head of PVAMU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, recently made the move from Georgia with his wife and their four children to be closer to family in Houston. He also made the move to PVAMU because of the university’s prestige.
“PVAMU was my first choice because of its history, mission and reputation,” Streator said.
Over the course of his three-decade career as a professor at Georgia Tech, Streator taught various courses, including statics, dynamics, mechanical vibrations, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, machine design, and heat transfer. He has also taught a few courses at the graduate level, including fluid film lubrication and mechanics of contact.
As complex as these courses sound, his teaching style in the classroom is a fine balance of laughter and learning.
“I probably attempt more than most to generate laughter and probably introduce more homemade physical demonstrations than most other instructors,” Streator said. “My basic philosophy is that if I’m bored teaching a topic, the students will definitely struggle to stay engaged.”
Streator, who has published a few dozen journal articles, has also won awards for his teaching and research.
“Learning is cool,” Streator said. “I continue to learn. It’s a thrill for me to learn and understand how things work. Getting students to that point is exciting, and I love it when they ask a lot of questions.”
Originally from Pasadena, California, Streator said he didn’t really know much about engineering until he went to high school.
“As a youngster, I was really interested in sports, but I wasn’t nearly good enough to make it a career,” Streator laughed. “I also really liked both math and science. The engineering thing got into my head when my father said, ‘you know, engineers are in demand.’ I thought, OK, I’ll go after that, not knowing what it was really all about.”
Streator found out soon enough and graduated with a degree in engineering sciences from Harvard University, followed by a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.
Streator is eager to help his students at PVAMU take the leap from choosing a major to launching a profession.
“I want my students to be fully equipped to successfully embark on their career of choice,” Streator said. “Whether they go into an industry, graduate school, or start their own business – I hope they have a wealth of information but also the skills of critical thinking.”
Streator didn’t come to PVAMU alone. His wife is the director of the new Chevron Leadership Academy in the PVAMU College of Business.
“I am glad to be here,” Streator said. “I expect this journey to be challenging but exciting. So far, I have really enjoyed the students, staff and faculty.”
By Kim Morgan
-PVAMU-