Michael Plumley, Ph.D., PE, Captain, USCG (Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff)
CAPT Michael Plumley earned a Bachelor of Science degree, with High Honors, in Mechanical Engineering from the Coast Guard Academy in 1998. He served as Damage Control Assistant aboard the Coast Guard Cutter (CGC) Alert before taking an assignment as Port Engineer at the Coast Guard Naval Engineering Support Unit in Boston, Massachusetts, where he oversaw maintenance and repair of the Coast Guard’s Northeastern United States Search and Rescue fleet. In 2009, he was assigned as chief engineer of the Coast Guard’s first National Security Cutter, CGC Bertholf, shortly after commissioning.
CAPT Plumley was assigned as Department Head of the Coast Guard Academy’s Electrical Engineering and Computing Systems Department in 2024, overseeing two ABET accredited programs, Electrical Engineering and Cyber Systems. He served as Department Head of Mechanical Engineering from 2016-2020, overseeing the program’s largest enrollment, a successful re-accreditation visit, and the program’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has over 15 years of collegiate teaching experience, guiding several courses and research projects, in areas including respirator design, water desalination, fire protection, engine efficiency, autonomous vehicle and biomedical system design. He has been in residence as a visiting faculty member at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and as a CMC Scholar at Sandia National Laboratory. CAPT Plumley served as director of the Coast Guard Academy’s National Lab Internship program for almost 20 years, and as a member of the Maritime Risk Symposium planning committee. He is a qualified sailing safety instructor for the Coast Guard’s Coastal Sail Training Program and holds a 100-ton Coast Guard Master’s license. CAPT Plumley is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Connecticut, and is a coauthor on 4 United States Patents.
Education
- Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015
- M.S., Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering, United States Coast Guard Academy, 1998
Courses Taught
- Advanced Engineering Math
- Design Project Management
- Mechanical Engineering (Capstone) Design
- Modeling and Control of Dynamic Systems
- Thermodynamics
- Heat Transfer
- Statics and Engineering Design
- Mechanics of Materials
- Ships and Maritime Systems
- Heat Transfer
- Machine Design
- Engineering Experimentation
- Mechanisms
Selected Publications and Presentations
- Patent – “Remote Modular System For Delivering CPR Compression,” T. Oaks, W. Russell, S. Simons, B. Wood, R. Adrezin, M. Plumley, Patent Number US11,607,368: Mar 21, 2023.
- Patent- “Breathable Respirator Mask With Multiple Layered Filters,” M. Daeffler, R. Adrezin, M. Plumley, Patent Number US 17,096,561: Dec 09, 2021.
- Patent – “Modular System and Apparatus for Treating Wounds,” R. Adrezin, M. Bishop, P. Cienfuegos, M. Daeffler, P. Jenkins, M. Plumley, H. Rittenhouse, J. Yake, M. Zeller, Patent Number US16,838,362: Dec 03, 2020.
- J. Hancock, M. Plumley, K. Schilling, D. Sheets, L. Wilen. Comment on “Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of Common Fabrics Used in Respiratory Cloth Masks” ACS Nano 2020 14 (9), 10758-10763
- Patent – “Buoy Hull Corrosion Detection System,” M. Dougall, J. Rath, B. Curtis, L. Otto, R. McClimans, M. Williams, T. Rodziewicz, R. Adrezin, M. Plumley, Patent Number US10,692,352: June 23, 2020.
- Siobhan McGirl. “Coast Guard Academy Working to Find Best Design for 3D Printed Masks” Published 5/6/2020.
- Plumley, M., Wong, V., and Martins, T. “Oil Degradation in a Diesel Engine with Dual-Loop Lubricating System,” Tribology Transactions. September, 2017
- Plumley, M., Wong, V., and Martins, T. “Demonstrating Improved Fuel Economy Using Subsystem Specific Lubricants on a Modified Diesel Engine,” Tribology Transactions. September, 2016.
- Plumley, M., Wong, V., Park, S. and Molewyk, M. (2014) “Optimizing Base Oil Viscosity for Power Cylinder Friction Response Temperature Dependency,” SAE Technical Paper 2014-01-1658.
- Plumley, M. (2009) “CGA Cadets on Cutting Edge of Innovation at National Laboratories.” USCG Engineering, Electronics and Logistics Quarterly. Summer 2009.
- Foley, A.C. and Plumley, M. (2009) “Enthalpy in a Box. Teaching Open v Closed System Work Terms.” AC 2009-1620 ASEE 2009 Annual Conference and Exposition, Austin, Texas.
- Freeman, R.W., Phillips, E.H., Plumley, M., Adrezin, R.S., Egelhoff, C.J., (2009) “Service Learning Workshops to Recruit Women into Engineering.” Proceedings of NE ASEE 2009 Conference, Bridgeport, Connecticut, April 2009.
- Plumley, M., Palm, W. and Simpson, W. (2008) “A Common Design-Build-Test Project Incorporating Freshman and Senior Undergraduate Analysis Skills,” 2008, American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference Proceedings.
Professional Memberships
- Licensed Professional Engineer, Connecticut
- American Society of Engineering Educators
