Anthony Petrella named department head for Mechanical Engineering

Anthony Petrella has been named department head for mechanical engineering at Colorado School of Mines.

A member of the Mines faculty since 2006, Petrella is an associate professor and director of the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) Professional Certificate program at Mines. He also served as director of online programs for the Mechanical Engineering Department from 2020 to 2023, helping to launch the online master’s degree in mechanical engineering. His appointment as department head began March 1.

“It's been an honor to support the ME Department by developing and leading several initiatives over the past two decades, and I am excited for the opportunity to now serve in the department head role,” Petrella said.

The largest department on campus by undergraduate enrollment, Mechanical Engineering offers bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees. Undergraduate students can choose one of eight specialized tracks: aerospace, automotive, automation & controls, biomechanics, energy, manufacturing, materials or nuclear engineering. The department also offers an aerospace minor and a sustainable energy undergraduate distinction for students to further focus their undergraduate experience. Several faculty members also lead interdisciplinary programs and research groups, including the Computational Biomechanics Group and the FEA Professional interdisciplinary graduate program, both led by Petrella. 

As department head, Petrella plans to focus on various areas of growth to differentiate the department from other mechanical engineering programs. By prioritizing excellence in undergraduate education, supporting graduate curricula and research, growing high-quality online programs and fostering engagement with Mines’ entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, Petrella said he hopes to lead the department in a way that will effectively champion stakeholders while also progressing mechanical engineering at Mines as a global leader.

“My goal is to ensure that ME faculty, staff, students and alumni are empowered to continue leading at Mines and across the global high-tech landscape where impactful engineering practice is truly changing lives for the better,” he said.

Petrella holds a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh and a MS and BS from Purdue University, all in mechanical engineering. His research focuses on computational biomechanics and experimental study of the musculoskeletal system, with specific focus on the spine, hip and knee mechanics. He came to Mines after a career with Johnson & Johnson, where he managed the computational biomechanics research group for DePuy Orthopedics.