Biography
Dwayne McDaniel is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. He conducts research in a broad range of engineering applications, including infrastructure inspection, fluid mechanics, and robotic systems. He has lead efforts in developing robotic tools for the DOE to inspect the health of their infrastructure and evaluate methods for their repair. He has also investigated methods to monitor various aspects in their waste transfer system. Results of his efforts have been presented at NASA Workshops, DOE-EM Tank Closure Forums, and ASME Robotics and Drone Seminars. He has published his research in over 100 conference proceedings and journals. He has lead research efforts for various agencies and industry partners including ARO, ONR, ARL, DOE-NETL, DOE-MSIPP, DOE-EM, FAA, NOAA, and SAIC. Dwayne McDaniel has a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Florida and is a registered professional engineer in the State of Florida.
Awards & Honors
- “Superior” paper at the WM2025 Conference, Paper #25665 “Protective Polyurea Coatings for the Protection of DOE-EM Concrete Infrastructures” presented in Session #074 Posters: D&D (6.01)., 2025
- FIU Top Scholar Awardee for Mentoring 2023-2024
- “Superior” paper at the WM2024 Conference, Paper #24503 “Electrochemical Performance of an Epoxy/Polyurea Coating System for the Protection of Degraded Concrete Infrastructures at DOE-EM Sites” presented in Session #075 D&D - Posters (6.01), 2024
- “Superior” paper at the WM2022 Conference, Paper #22317 “Radiological Surveillance of Hanford Tank Farm Using an Autonomous Mobile Platform” presented in Session #067 Nuclear and Industrial Robotics, Remote Systems and Emerging Technology (9.2), 2022
Education
- Ph.D., Engineering Mechanics, University of Florida, 2000
- MS, Engineering Mechanics, University of Florida, 1993
- BS, Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, 1991