<p>I've been looking through a lot of prof's research and overall its too theoretical for me. Does anyone know of any mechanical professors or universities that have a more hands on, practical focus?</p>
<p>I can’t really answer that question, but it seems to me that all of academic research is theoretical problem solving. OTOH, industry seems to be the place where problems are solved in a more practical, hands-on manner. This makes sense, too. Academic researchers have the luxury of funding for exploring topics at their convenience, while industry must present customers with working products within a budget in a timely manner.</p>
<p>Maybe you would be happier pursuing a professional masters than a PhD? Also, I believe that the professional engineering societies offer some opportunities for education.</p>
<p>You may want to check out manufacturing or cad/cam applications in mechanical engineering. There are alot of design issues involved with less theoretical aspects as compared to fluid mechanics. Check out Ohio State’s manufacturing division. Every phd degree i would expect there to be significant theoretical work but in manufacturing there is more balance with hands on approach. Masters in engineering programs will deal with project aspect where hands on approach is needed, so you may want to avoid phd if theory is not appealing to you.</p>
<p>In engineering there is a lot of variation between programs. In EE I had it narrowed down to 2 programs, one of which told me explicitly that they saw lab experience as the primary advantage of their program. Most of their grad’s went into industry, and they felt that the actual thesis was of less value than the hands-on experience in the lab.</p>
<p>So talk to the programs, and look for the word “experimentalist” as opposed to “theorist”.</p>
<p>You might want to try looking into programs that are known for having stronger ties to industry. They’ll generally have less emphasis on the science than programs that get the majority of their funding from the government.</p>