Joseph Turner
Title(s):
Kirby Gray (Battelle) Chair in Engineering, Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Associate Director CNDE
Office
2347 Howe
Information
Fall 2025 New Faculty Spotlight:
Education
B.S. from Iowa State University (Engineering Science); M.Engr. from Iowa State University (Engineering Science and Mechanics); Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Theoretical and Applied Mechanics)
Research focus
Ultrasonic methods for nondestructive evaluation (NDE); qualification of components for advanced manufacturing; mechanics of materials.
Joins Iowa State from
University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) where I was the Robert W. Brightfelt Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. I was at UNL for 28 years.
What makes you most excited to join the Cyclone Engineering community here at Iowa State?
I’m excited to be part of the Aerospace Engineering department especially because NDE is so important to so many aerospace applications. The recent advances in metal additive manufacturing (AM) are very exciting and I’m glad that my research can help ensure that components will be manufactured with the necessary integrity. I’m also excited to join the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation which is now in its 40th year – the only center of its kind in the U.S. and a unique gem to ISU.
Describe a moment that makes you particularly proud of your career path in educating tomorrow’s engineers.
Every time a student takes ownership of their research project is a moment when I am very proud to be a university professor.
How do you hope your teaching and/or research discoveries impact the world?
I hope that I can instill in my students the importance of their work for material safety for all aspects of life. The structural performance of materials and components is crucial for nearly everyone in the world, so the impact of my students is extremely broad.
What kind of classroom and teaching experience do you look forward to creating at Iowa State?
I try to teach students the importance of fundamental knowledge and help them develop the ability to use that knowledge for any challenge they may encounter in their careers.