Teacher Talk: Alan Kallmeyer
When Dr. Alan Kallmeyer came to NDSU, he didn’t anticipate staying long.
Kallmeyer thought of NDSU as more of a stepping stone than a permanent residence when he accepted a teaching position in the Mechanical Engineering Department, however 11 years later he’s still here.
A native of Utah, Kallmeyer attended the University of Utah and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After he finished his undergraduate degree, he decided to attend graduate school at the University of Iowa where he received a Ph.D. in 1995.
Once he completed graduate school, he accepted his first official teaching job at NDSU. It has been over a decade since, and Kallmeyer still enjoys teaching here.
“ Growing up you never picture yourself ending up in North Dakota, I always thought this would be a stepping stone and I’d only be here a few years,” Kallmeyer said, “and 11 years later I’m still here. I like the community it’s a great place to raise a family and I like NDSU.”
The Mechanical Engineering Department is split up into three groups, mechanics, which is solid mechanical systems; thermal and fluids, which deals with thermal dynamics and fluid mechanics; and materials, which consists of material science and processing testing.
Kallmeyer has taught a number of classes for the mechanics portion of the department including Mechanics and Materials, Composite Materials, Machine Design, Dynamics, Senior Design and Fatigue and Fracture.
Kallmeyer said, “I really enjoy being with the students and watching them learn. It’s fun to see that light turn on when they understand a concept.”
Kallmeyer said one of his favorite classes to teach is Senior Design.
“ You get to work with the students more individually, we have some very sharp students,” Kallmeyer said. “They push me with the questions they ask and make me think deeper about what I’m trying to teach. I’m always coming up with new ways of explaining concepts so they can understand what I’m trying to teach.”
He also said that Machine Design and Dynamics were also personal favorites of his.
Kallmeyer also serves as the department’s Interim Chair.
The Mechanical Engineering Department has about 400 students and 18 faculty members, which Kallmeyer has to keep organized. Some of his tasks as Interim Chair include deciding the class schedule and which teachers will teach those classes.
With all the administrative work and students to meet with, Kallmeyer has very little free time.
“ I don’t get enough hobbies and interests,” Kallmeyer said. “I have three kids ages six to 11 and they are all active in soccer. So our Saturdays are spent at three different soccer games.”
He also said that although North Dakota doesn’t really have the terrain for it, he enjoys mountain biking and cross-country skiing. Hunting is also a hobby he likes to do in his spare time.
Kallmeyer enjoys being with his students as well and is the adviser for the Society of Automotive Engineers here on campus.
“ We’re involved in two big collegiate design competitions each year called the Mini Baha and the Formula Car Competition,” Kallmeyer said. “Students design and build vehicles and placed in a national competition against over 10 other universities. It’s a lot of fun and a great experience where they can learn about real world engineering and also see how we compare to other colleges.”
Whether he’s being a soccer dad or college instructor, Kallmeyer is definitely enjoying himself and is glad he came to NDSU.