Talha Bin Asad

Talha Bin Asad is a third-year PhD Candidate in the Interdisciplinary PhD program at Virginia Tech. He completed his undergraduate degree in Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan, and his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China. 

Talha is passionate about mechanical design and in addition to serving as a Teaching Assistant for design-related courses, he conducts workshops for other grad students and faculty interested in learning 3D CAD. In the past, he worked as a mechanical design engineer for the design and development of products including robotic components, access control systems, linear actuators, and interior furniture. 

Talha's goal is to bridge the gap between industry and academia by helping produce industry-ready engineering graduates. He has presented on new engineering pedagogical approaches at international conferences such as ASEE and SEFI. His current project involves the design and development of a video game in Unreal Engine as an innovative instructional tool for reinforcing sustainability concepts and knowledge for undergraduate engineering students.