Martin Tanaka is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Western Carolina University. He has extensive knowledge of product design stemming from over a decade of experience developing high-quality commercial products in industry. Martin has worked at all levels of engineering from entry-level to engineering management, so he understands each step of the product development process and how it is conducted at multiple different companies.

Martin earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University, a dual program that leverages the strengths of Virginia Tech’s engineering and Wake Forest University’s medical school. For the past 10 years, he has been helping local companies develop innovative products through his work at the university. Projects include innovative medical devices, projects for the US Army and Navy, and green energy products, to name a few.  Read More

His interests include employing design for manufacturing techniques to optimize product designs to improve quality and reduce cost, designing innovative devices, 3D metal printing, and developing a better understanding of the key elements needed to grow and nurture successful industry-academic partnerships.

Dr. Tanaka teaches courses that combine his understanding of the product design and development processes used in industry with fundamental engineering knowledge. These courses teach applied skills that lie at the intersection of engineering, business, and industrial design. Examples include Innovation in Engineering Design, Design for Manufacturing, Engineering Principles and Practice III, Simulation and Analysis of Engineering Systems, and Lean Six Sigma for Manufacturing and Design.

He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of North Carolina, a veteran of the US Army, and the owner of a small business that provides engineering consulting services.