Leigh McCue-Weil

A trailblazer in naval engineering research and engineering education, Leigh McCue combines curiosity, storytelling, and teaching that fosters a diverse environment for women and minorities in STEM.

Leigh McCue is a professor and chair of George Mason University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. From June 2015 - December 2018, she was the executive director of the American Society of Naval Engineers. Before that, from December 2004 through May 2015, she was an assistant, then associate professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering.

Her research interests are in maritime robotics, nonlinear and chaotic vessel dynamics, and computational fluid dynamics, coupled with an emphasis on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering. Her work has been supported by ONR, NSF, NASA, the USCG, CSC, QinetiQ, and the Northeast Center for Occupational Safety and Health. Additionally, McCue has participated in the ASEE-ONR Summer Faculty Research Program to work in collaboration with researchers at the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center and was on sabbatical for the 2011-2012 academic year with the Combatant Craft Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock. 

She received her BSE degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. She earned her graduate degrees from the University of Michigan in Aerospace Engineering (MSE) and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (MSE and PhD).

Degrees

• PhD, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan
• MSE, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan
• MSE, Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan
• BSE, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University

Research Interests

• Vessel Dynamics
• Chaotic Systems
• Computational Fluid Dynamics 
• Maritime Autonomous Systems
• Verification and Validation
• Occupational Safety