Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ, 2009
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee Tech University, 2005
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer Mechanical, Washington, #24004709
  • Six Sigma Green Belt Certification (CSSGB)
Additional Education & Training
  • Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, Online Course, 2021
  • Machine Learning, Stanford University, 2020
  • MSHA Part 48A&B Coal/Metal/Nonmetal Surface & Underground Safety Training, 2011-2018
Academic Appointments
  • Graduate Research Assistant, Center for Vehicle Systems & Safety, Virginia Tech, 2005-2009
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, Land Vehicle Dynamics, Virginia Tech, 2006-2009
Professional Honors
  • Pi Tau Sigma, Honors Society for Mechanical Engineers
  • Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honors Society
  • Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honor Society
Professional Affiliations
  • Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
  • The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Languages
  • German
  • Swedish
  • Romanian

Dr. Marcu is a mechanical engineer with deep industry experience in product development, research, and validation in the areas of earth-moving equipment and heavy trucks. He has extensive experience in dynamics, vibration, human factors, operator visibility, and noise with a particular focus on evaluating and mitigating the effect of vibrations on vehicle occupants through proper selection and design of the vehicle chassis, cabin, and seat suspensions. 

Dr. Marcu leverages his industry and educational experience to investigate failures in all types of complex mechanical systems and equipment — from vehicles and mobile equipment to industrial production systems, commercial and residential building mechanical equipment, and consumer products.

Dr. Marcu's work has included support for litigation, insurance, risk management and proactive projects and he has conducted inspections for injury, property damage, lemon law, and construction defect cases. 

Dr. Marcu has conducted testing both in a lab and in the field with the purpose of evaluating occupant comfort, health and safety, component performance and durability, and vehicle dynamics. He has led vehicle noise mitigation projects and has experience improving the quality of audible alerts in vehicles. 

Dr. Marcu's expertise includes:

Vehicles and Equipment:

  • Construction, mining, and earth-moving equipment
  • On and off-highway trucks
  • Automotive
  • Building mechanical systems including HVAC, plumbing and fire suppression systems

Vibration and Noise:

  • Vibration and its effect on structures, occupants, and equipment performance
  • Seats and seat belts
  • Passive and active suspension systems
  • Vehicle noise (interior and exterior)

Testing:

  • Objective and subjective lab and field testing
  • Shake and vibration table testing for durability and performance, including human vibration testing
  • Immersive, interactive vehicle simulators and motion/simulator sickness 
  • Sensor selection and data acquisition
  • Pressure testing
  • Fixture design

Data Analysis:

  • Noise and vibration data analysis
  • Digital signal processing in both time and frequency domain
  • Fatigue damage spectrum analysis

Before joining Exponent, Dr. Marcu led Kenworth Trucks' noise and vibration work. This followed 9 years at Caterpillar where he led the ride simulator laboratory and conducted research on human vibration, semiactive seat and cabin suspensions using a human-rated, 6-degree-of-freedom shake table. 

Dr. Marcu's mechanical engineering experience has consistently straddled the divide between theory and hands-on application. This started during his doctoral work at Virginia Tech, where he developed a dynamic model of a semitruck from first principles which he used to design a semiactive cab suspension and its control algorithm. He then modified a semi truck, installed the new cab suspension, implemented the real-time controller, and conducted all the lab and field tuning of the system. His dissertation work culminated in the delivery of a truck with a working prototype of a novel, semiactive cab suspension.

While completing the Ph.D. work, Dr. Marcu built up a machine shop and developed the IT infrastructure in the research lab. He also performed maintenance on the facility's IT and lab equipment.

During his undergraduate years, he was an active leader and member of the Tennessee Tech Baja SAE team (then Mini Baja). Post graduation he was involved in the organization, racecourse design, and design judging at several Baja SAE races.

Dr. Marcu served in the Swedish Air Force where he performed turnaround crew work on the Saab J-35 Draken jet fighter, facility maintenance, and fire fighter duties. As part of his military training, he received and maintained a Commercial Driver's License in Sweden from 1998-2020.