Faculty Directory

Sunderland, Peter B.

Sunderland, Peter B.

Professor
Keystone Professor
Director, Undergraduate Studies
Fire Protection Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Center for Risk and Reliability
Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices
3104E J.M. Patterson Building

EDUCATION

  • 1995 Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
  • 1994 M.S., Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
  • 1986 M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
  • 1983 B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca.

BACKGROUND

  • 2017 – present Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dept. of Fire Protection Engineering; Affiliate, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering; Affiliate, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Keystone Professor, College of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park.
  • 2010 – 2017 Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dept. of Fire Protection Engineering; Affiliate Associate Professor, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering; Affiliate Associate Professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park.
  • 2004 – 2010 Assistant Professor, Department of Fire Protection Engineering, and Affiliate Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park.
  • 1996 – 2004 Staff Scientist and Research Associate, National Center for Microgravity Research and National Research Council, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland.
  • 1991 –1995 Research Fellow and Research Assistant, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
  • 1988 – 1991 Senior Engineer, Northern Research and Engineering Division of Ingersoll-Rand, Woburn, MA.
  • 1985 – 1987 Engineer, Pratt and Whitney Division of United Technologies, East Hartford. 1981 – 1982 Co-Operative Engineer, Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., New Castle, Delaware.

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • Fellow, The Combustion Institute, 2021.
  • Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars Faculty Mentor Award, Merrill Family Foundation, 2020.
  • Poole and Kent Teaching Award for Senior Engineering Faculty, University of Maryland, 2017.
  • Best Image, Fire Science Image Competition, IAFSS, 2014.
  • Best-Paper Award, Sixth International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards, 2010.
  • Faculty Early Career Award, NSF, 2010.
  • Ralph H. Isbrandt Automotive Safety Engineering Award, SAE, 2008.
  • E. Robert Kent Junior Faculty Teaching Award, College of Engineering, University of Maryland, 2008.
  • Keystone Professor, The Clark School Academy of Distinguished Professors, University of Maryland, 2008.
  • Excellence in Oral Presentation, SAE World Congress, Detroit, 2007.
  • Best-Paper Award, Northern Ohio Section of AIAA, 2003.

  • ENES 100, Introduction to Engineering Design
  • ENFP 101, Introduction to Fire Protection Engineering
  • ENFP 300, Fire Protection Fluid Mechanics
  • ENFP 350, Professional Development Seminar
  • ENFP 415/651, Fire Dynamics
  • ENFP 420,  Fire Assessment Methods and Laboratory
  • ENFP 630, Diffusion Flames and Burning Rate Theory

University of Maryland Named Top Contributing Institution in NASA Space Station Research

Experiments in fire protection engineering study microgravity combustion experiments.

Understanding Heat Where It Matters Most

UMD researchers develop improved sensors for measuring heat flux in real-time with more precision in extreme environments.

Fire Protection Research Professor and Retired NIST Fellow Dies at Age 89

Howard R. Baum will be remembered for his service and dedicated career.

Firefighter Exoskeleton Built by UMD Students Wins Second Place at ASTM International Games

A prototype that reduces the physical burden for firefighters, created by Terp engineers and a geology student, also won first place at the ASTM International Exo Games. 

DOE Ups Its Investment in UMD to Develop Eco-Friendly Heat Pumps

Agency awards UMD and partners $4.8 million to improve heat pump performance and safety.

Stoliarov’s Research Recognized at Premier International Fire Science Symposium

The professor was an invited speaker at the 14th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science to address one of the main challenges in fire research.

Sunderland Receives NSF Award for Newly Discovered Class of Flame

The $360K award will expand research into cool diffusion flames and possibly contribute to stemming the spread of wildland fire.

Parham Dehghani Receives IAFSS Best Thesis Award

Dehghani will present his research at the 14th symposium next fall.

Sunderland Selected for National Academies Decadal Survey

NASA-sponsored study will focus on research in space.

Fire Protection Engineers Track a Different Kind of "Superspreader"

Clark School research aims to make buildings more resistant to wildfire.

Unusual "cool flames" discovered aboard International Space Station

Maryland-led discovery is a first for microgravity flame research

Sunderland Named Fellow of the Combustion Institute

Sunderland's research on micro-gravity combustion has made headlines as of late.

Unlocking the Mysteries of Fire ... in Space

A University of Maryland engineer's work aboard the International Space Station could lead to cleaner engines and power plants, and safer living conditions in space.

Three Engineering Students Named Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars

The Merrill Scholars program recognizes the University of Maryland's top graduating seniors and their faculty/teacher mentors.

UMD Fire Researchers Ignite the First of Two Space Station Experiments

BRE experiment commenced aboard the International Space Station on February 8.

FPE Professor Peter Sunderland Designated PI on Upcoming NIST and NSF Projects

Grant money will be used in research aimed at developing wild-fire suppression methods, and cleaner, more efficient internal combustion engines.

UMD Experiments Launched into Orbit on SpaceX Capsule

Fire Protection Engineering research will further understanding of combustion and pollutants.

Peter Sunderland Wins Poole and Kent Teaching Award for Senior Faculty

He will be recognized at the 2017 Clark School of Engineering Commencement on May 20.

FPE Ph.D. Candidate Wins 2017 Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award

Akshit Markan will be honored at the UMD Graduate School Fellowship and Awards Celebration on May 11th.

UMD Hosts the Premier Combustion Science Meeting in the U.S.

A record number of attendees made the 2017 meeting the most successful in its history.

Two FPE Faculty Members Granted Tenure, Promotion

Drs. Peter Sunderland and Michael Gollner will be promoted, effective August 1.

AHRI Grant Supports Study of Refrigerant Flammability

Drs. Peter Sunderland and Vivien Lecoustre lead Investigation of Energy Produced by Potential Ignition Sources in Residential Application.

Fire Protection Team wins IAFSS Award

FPE Research Team wins 11th IAFSS Symposium Best Fire Science Image Award

Clark School Freshmen Compete in Hovercraft Competition

ENES100 students build autonomous hovercrafts for final exam.

Marshall Spray Systems Research Earns Grants

Fire protection engineering professor and colleagues to quantify fire-spray interactions, form company.

Clark School Expert, Visualization Tool Demonstrate Crisis Communication

Peter Sunderland, Center for Advanced Transportation Technology assist National Academy of Engineering presentation at USA Science and Engineering Expo.

Faculty News Roundup

Clark School faculty promotions, moves announced.

Is It Safe to Breathe Yet?

"Double-flame" research seeks to improve soot combustion, reduce pollutants.

Sunderland Wins CAREER Award

Research aims to reduce pollution from soot oxidation.

GM Showcases Fuel Cell Vehicles

Hydrogen Seminar at Clark School includes preview of Chevy Equinox.

Clark School Holds 2009 Commencement

Conservation advocate Philip Hannam serves as student speaker.

Six New Keystone Professors Selected

Appointments to group of distinguished educators effective as of July 1.