Emeritus Faculty
Terry Shoup
Terry Shoup was appointed the fourth Dean of the School of Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University in 1989. He served three consecutive terms as dean, 1989-2002. Before arriving at Santa Clara, he had served on the faculties of Rutgers University, the University of Houston, Texas A&M University, and as Dean of Engineering at Florida Atlantic University. He received his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University, and a Master’s degree in Pastoral Ministries from Santa Clara University.
Following his tenure as SCU dean, Dr. Shoup returned to the faculty to continue his teaching and research in the field of machine design and design optimization methods. He also filled a variety of interim administrative roles at Santa Clara University: Acting Dean of the School of Education, Counseling Psychology and Pastoral Ministries 2005-06, Interim Vice Provost for Enrollment Management 2006-08, and Interim Executive Director of International Programs 2009-10.
In addition to his service at Santa Clara, Dr. Shoup contributed to his profession in many ways. In 2006, Dr. Shoup became the 125th President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, delivering an address in the People’s Great Hall in China, and testifying before a committee of the U.S. Congress on the important role that engineers play in protecting and preserving the environment. He later was elected as President of the Board of Directors of the ASME Foundation. He is the author or co-author of more than 15 textbooks and more than 140 technical articles, and he also served as the editor-in-chief of the foremost international mechanism design journal, Mechanism & Machine Theory, for more than 25 years.
Among numerous other honors and accolades, Dr. Shoup was named ASME Fellow and received the ASME Centennial Award and ASME Honorary Membership, recognizing a lifetime of service to engineering. He was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame in 2011 and received the President’s Special Recognition Award from Santa Clara University in 2012. Dr. Shoup retired from Santa Clara University in 2019.
Timothy K. Hight
After 37 years of long and committed service to the Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, and Santa Clara University, Dr. Hight retired in June 2021.
Dr. Hight has an outstanding record of success as a teacher, scholar, and leader at Santa Clara. Dr. Hight’s expertise is in the applications of computer methods to the design and analysis of mechanical systems. He applied the finite element method to a wide variety of problems, including the study of biomechanics and the application of modern design and manufacturing methods in industry. Throughout his academic career he also maintained close ties to industry through numerous summer and part time consulting projects with such companies as IBM, FMC and Lockheed. Dr. Hight also participated in research projects with NASA/Ames, VA hospital in Palo Alto, the USAF at Wright Patterson AFB and Curtin University in Perth, Australia. He also played active roles in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), particularly with the Design Theory and Methodology Committee where he held various positions since the committee's inception.
Dr. Hight was the core of the design curriculum and the senior design program in the Department. He developed the senior design sequence to provide students with hands-on experience of designing and building real-life engineering projects. One of the greatest impacts of Tim Hight on the Department was his supervision, along with Fr. Jim Reites, of the three Solar Decathlon entries in 2007, 2009, 2013 and his supervision of the Tiny House entry in 2016. In particular, SCU placed third overall in 2007 and 2009 with several firsts in various subcategories in 2009. In the 2016 Tiny House competition, SCU secured first place. In the solar house competition, core teams consisted of 25 students with extended teams of over 100 students and typical project costs of $1.2M. In recognition of his achievements and dedication, Dr. Hight was named a top teaching scholar in 2011 for his “profound influence in incorporating concepts of sustainability into the Department of Mechanical Engineering.”
In addition, Dr. Hight served as the department chair for 13 years from 1998 to 2011. His leadership played a key role in shaping and growing the Mechanical Engineering Department. His dedicated mentorship had far-reaching impacts on the professional and academic careers of both students and faculty.