Professor Mertens joined the Department of Engineering in the Fall of 1990 following the completion of a Ph.D. from the Thermal Sciences Division of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University.  He has continued his research in the areas of air pollution, combustion, chemical kinetics, non-equilibrium processes, and optical diagnostics, primarily using shock tube experiments.  He teaches a wide variety of mechanical engineering courses, including Heat Transfer, Mechanics of Materials, Thermodynamics, and Senior Design. Professor Mertens also teaches a number of courses for non-science majors, and contributes to courses in Public Policy and Environmental Science. He is a member of the Trinity College Environmental Science Coordinating Committee.