Robert Jackson

Since 2004, Rob Jackson has served a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Auburn University. He earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focuses on tribology, contact mechanics, electrified contacts, and lubricated bearings—critical areas for advancing mechanical systems and energy efficiency, particularly in electric vehicles (EVs). Professor Jackson directs Auburn’s Tribology Program and created one of the first undergraduate minors in tribology in 2012. 

He regularly teaches courses on mechanics of materials, machine design, and tribology, including boundary lubrication and multiscale contact mechanics. In addition, he teaches the opening segment of the IEEE Holm Intensive Course on Electrical Contacts, where he shares expertise on contact mechanics and electrical phenomena—knowledge essential for high-performance EV connectors and battery systems. His teaching philosophy emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world applications, preparing students for impactful careers. 

In 2024, Professor Jackson become the Editor-in-Chief of the ASME Journal of Tribology, which published a wide variety of high-quality research papers in contact, friction, wear and lubrication. The journal, founded as one of the first in the tribology field, now publishes over 200 papers a year whose review processes are led by Dr. Jackson and an editorial board. 

Dr. Jackson’s experimental and theoretical work on electrified bearings and contacts that impacts EV drivetrain efficiency and component durability. He has supervised numerous graduate students and led projects funded by agencies such as the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, National Lubricating Grease Institute, and many industry entities, many of which focus on EV technologies. 

He has published extensively, with over 9,500 citations and an h-index of 48, and is recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE). Dr. Jackson has also been awarded the NLGI Ralph Beard Memorial Academic Award, ASME Burt L. Newkirk Award and the STLE Captain Alfred E. Hunt Memorial Award.