About

Carlos Corleto is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He holds a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University, completed in 1994, 1986, and 1984 respectively. His research interests include deformation and fracture mechanics, materials science, finite element modeling, and failure analysis. Corleto has industry experience as the Materials Lab Director at KnightHawk Engineering, Inc., and has served as a Technical Manager and Engineering Advisor at Total Petrochemicals, Inc. His professional activities also involve engagement with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME BPVC) and fitness for service codes.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Medical education
• Medicine
• Engineering
• Psychology
• Management
• Sociology
• Mathematics education
• Mechanical engineering
• Structural engineering
• Composite material
• Materials science
• Knowledge management
• Pedagogy

Selected publications

• Experiential Learning in Solid Mechanics: Truss Beam Design Project

  2026-04-03

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  This project presents an experiential learning project implemented in a Solid Mechanics course, where third-year mechanical engineering students designed, fabricated, and tested threedimensional truss beams using 3D printing technology.Grounded in Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, the project aimed to reinforce theoretical concepts such as axial loading, buckling, and structural design through hands-on application.Students explored various truss configurations under realistic design constraints, including material properties and fabrication limitations.The project culminated in physical demonstrations of load-bearing performance under prescribed loading conditions.Evaluation through Likert-scale surveys and student feedback suggests improvements in conceptual understanding, teamwork, and communication skills.The integration of 3D printing further enhanced creativity and problem-solving.This study underscores the pedagogical value of experiential learning in engineering education and suggests future improvements in instructional clarity and project scope to deepen student engagement and learning outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Vertical Integration in Mechanical Engineering: Reinforcing Statics Concepts in an Undergraduate Numerical Methods Course

  2026-04-03

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• A Product-Based Intervention to Enhance Engagement in Teaching Nonferrous Metals

  2026-04-03

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The nonferrous metals chapter in materials science courses is frequently characterized by dense, memorization-heavy content that often leads to student disengagement and diminished instructional enthusiasm.This disconnect between learners and the material can hinder appreciation for the critical role nonferrous metals play in engineering applications.To address this challenge, we introduce a targeted instructional intervention that reframes the chapter around a tangible, product-based context.By centering the learning experience on a familiar household item, such as a blender, students are guided to investigate and rationalize the selection of various nonferrous metals used in its components.This approach emphasizes the relationship between material properties and design requirements, including mechanical performance, corrosion resistance, and manufacturability.The intervention incorporates short preparatory videos to introduce foundational concepts, followed by structured inclass worksheets that promote active learning and collaborative analysis.Unlike traditional reverse engineering, this method focuses on the materials dimension of design, encouraging students to consider how material choices evolve with changing functional demands.Supplementary activities include hands-on examination of water jet-cut product samples and online research into material applications in everyday items.Early feedback indicates that this intervention significantly enhances student engagement and conceptual understanding, offering a promising model for revitalizing traditionally challenging content in engineering education.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Enhancing Teamwork Skills in Engineering Education: Iterative Development of Interactive Lecture Modules

  2025-04-29

  articleOpen access

  Teamwork is a fundamental skill for success in engineering education and professional practice.Engineering projects often demand collaboration across disciplines and expertise, requiring the development of competencies in team dynamics, effective communication, and conflict management.Critical elements of teamwork include understanding team stages, recognizing members' strengths and weaknesses, fostering mutual trust, and managing roles and expectations through tools like team charters.To address the gap in teamwork skill development, the UNdergraduates Improving TEamwork Skills (UNITES) project was launched to integrate vertically aligned lecture modules into the engineering curriculum.The foundational module initially consisted of slide-based content focused on characteristics of successful teams, team dynamics, and expectation management.However, instructor feedback revealed challenges such as unfamiliarity with concepts, lack of student engagement, and excessive time required to cover materials during lectures.The module was improved to increase student engagement, effectiveness, and time management.Icebreaking activities, such as MEEN-Go and Engineering Superhero Persona Building, were introduced to build rapport among team members.Pre-recorded videos replaced slides to reduce the instructional burden of not being a subject matter expert and save time for interactive activities.These changes allowed for the inclusion of a role-playing exercise, where teams collaboratively created a charter for a hypothetical project.Similar iterative revisions are being applied to effective communication and conflict management modules to improve their adaptability and impact.These iterative enhancements illustrate our commitment to refining pedagogical practices and equipping students with essential teamwork skills critical for their academic and professional success.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• WORKSHOP: Conflict Management for Undergraduate Engineering Students

  2025-04-29

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Teaching Conflict Management for Teamwork

  2025-08-21

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Embedding Teamwork Skills in Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

  2024-04-02

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  space exploration.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Teaching Effective Communication for Teamwork

  2024

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Medical education
  • Computer Science

  Abstract This is a Work in Progress paper. Although engineering curricula focus primarily on technical knowledge and skills, soft skills such as teamwork are essential for practicing engineers. Engineers are often expected to collaborate in large teams consisting of individuals with varying expertise. In addition to technical contributions, engineers must be capable of effective communication and conflict management to succeed. Unfortunately, engineering graduates can be ill-prepared to work as effective team members due to poor teamwork experiences in their undergraduate education. While educators hope that students can learn from poor experiences, the reality is that students may not be learning what they need to perform well on a team in the future. Students need guidance on what makes an effective team. At a University, a group of mechanical engineering faculty are developing three training modules aimed at helping students develop effective teamwork skills in their sophomore, junior, and senior years. Each module focuses on a different aspect of teamwork and is taught during one class lecture. The first module introduces the stages of team development and setting expectations using a team charter in a sophomore-level course. In a junior-level course, the second module focuses on effective communication and awareness of different working styles. The third module will cover conflict resolution in a senior-level course. In this paper, we will present the second module, which was fully implemented for the first time in Fall 2023. This effective communication module was conducted in a workshop-style format. The students completed an individual activity and then needed to combine their efforts into a shared team solution. The activity provided a quick example of how they typically work as a team and communicate with little time. We then shared a video with several examples of failures and misconceptions that can result from ineffective communication. Cross-cultural communication was highlighted because team members may make assumptions based on culture, background, or current circumstances. Finally, students completed a working styles assessment to bring awareness of different working styles. They reflected on how communication and interactions may differ between these working styles and how they can adapt to different situations. Students were then asked to connect their new understandings to the initial activity reflecting on their own style and that of their teammates. The paper will share more detailed information about the training workshop. The post-training reflection module shows promising results, with students identifying how to be better team members, realizing that they can be more open-minded, and recognizing the importance of establishing trust within a team. The students are currently working on a class project and will complete a team experience survey. We will share initial results comparing this semester's survey results to a baseline group that did not receive the teamwork training. These results will guide our improvement of the second module and the development of the third module. Keywords: teams, team dynamics, teamwork training, working styles, communication

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Vertical Integration of Teamwork Skills from Sophomore to Senior and Beyond!

  2024 · 1 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Medical education
  • Psychology

  Abstract Teamwork skills are essential to success in professional settings. Keeping this in mind, engineering courses offer projects that require students to participate in teams. Although many students have prior experience in teamwork that may be under a different context, most do not receive sufficient formal guidance on effective team building. We observed that some student teams become dysfunctional due to inconsistent team expectations, ineffective communication, and an inability to manage conflicts. Recent student surveys also pointed out an unmet need to empower them with these teamwork skills. We believe that students will best learn these teamwork skills in the context of their own team projects. Our proposed approach here will enable students to build students interpretation of teamwork by learning in classroom lectures/activities and working with others. Throughout this process, students should learn to be resilient team members capable of understanding their unique and shared roles in a team. To implement the proposed approach, we are developing three learning modules covering three essential teamwork aspects: team formation, effective communication, and conflict management. We plan to teach one module per year in sophomore, junior, and senior year courses that require team projects. We will introduce the modules before the students start their team projects so that they can immediately apply what they learn. With each year focusing on a different aspect of teaming, students can continue developing and improving their skills throughout their undergraduate coursework. We introduced the first module in the Spring of 2022. Currently, we are developing the second module and will implement it in Spring 2023. During their sophomore year, we introduced students to team formation, stages of team dynamics, characteristics of successful teams, and the development of team charters. The following year, they will study how teams are composed of individuals with different experiences, perspectives, and working styles. With this knowledge, students will learn to communicate and collaborate effectively as a team. During the final year, we will familiarize them with the nature of conflicts and their management methods. We will conduct each module in a workshop format with roleplay activities, in-class topic discussions, and relevant assignments. Students will then apply their knowledge to build and run effective teams and reinforce good practices during their course projects. After teaching the modules, we will administer mid- and post-project surveys to capture the outcomes and student feedback. We will then compare the survey data to a baseline group who did not receive training to provide insight into students' improved teamwork abilities. Developing this critical professional skill set will help prepare students for leadership positions and successful careers after their graduation. Acknowledgment: This work is supported by National Science Foundation Grant EEC-2022275.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Faculty-Led Videos of Real-World Industrial and Research Applications in a Materials Science Course

  2024-02-07

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Current MEEN 360 course (Materials and Manufacturing in Design) instructors have noticed higher attention and interest level from students when they share their practical experience from industrial and research projects. There is always a natural tendency to pay more attention to personal work experiences than experiences we cannot relate to with theoretical examples. It is also easier and more interesting to teach based on personal experiences. These ideas triggered this study to see if including short, well-prepared videos of real-world problems and solutions would motivate and enhance students' learning experience in this course. The idea is to engage and motivate students to learn the material by showing them how course topics have been applied by the faculty teaching the course to solve real-world industry and research problems. Two videos were produced with embedded information that links directly to the course textbook chapters and topics including annealing, quenching, tempering, yield strength, ductility, hardness, brittleness, precipitation hardening, steels, and corrosion resistant nickel-chromium superalloys. The videos were less than 9 minutes each and demonstrate how efficiently material can be covered when employing tightly scripted lectures using a storytelling narrative structure in conjunction with animated PowerPoint and stock library slide shows. The videos were shown in four sections of the course offered (350 students) in Spring 2022, and a five-question survey was administered to evaluate them. Faculty creating the videos are not necessarily the same instructors for all sections. Homework associated with the videos was also prepared to measure interest and motivation of the students. The process to produce the videos, key features incorporated in the videos to maximize student understanding, and advantages, disadvantages, and lessons learned will be presented. This study is one of several projects in the department supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number EEC-2022275.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Ashley Schmitt

  Texas A&M University

  25 shared

• Matilda McVay

  Mitchell Institute

  25 shared

• D. Beck

  Texas A&M University

  25 shared

• Shadi Balawi

  Mitchell Institute

  18 shared

• Jonathan M. Weaver-Rosen

  Mitchell Institute

  15 shared

• Joanna Tsenn

  West Texas A&M University

  14 shared

• Mohammad W. Mohiuddin

  Texas A&M University

  14 shared

• Walter L. Bradley

  Texas A&M University

  4 shared