Ernest âErnieâ Cravalho, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at MIT, passed away on Tuesday, April 13, at the age of 82. Cravalho served as a member of MITâs mechanical engineering faculty for 44 years. Along with his many research contributions in the fields of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and bioengineering, Cravalho helped shape MITâs thermodynamics education into what it is today.
Born in San Mateo, California, in 1939, Cravalho earned his bachelorâs degree, masterâs degree, and PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of California at Berkeley. After receiving his doctoral degree in 1967, Cravalho made the move to the East Coast to join MITâs Department of Mechanical Engineering as an assistant professor.
That same year, Cravalho collaborated with the late Professor Joseph Smith to launch a new thermodynamics course at MIT. The revamped course was in response to Cravalhoâs feeling that previously, students hadnât developed a practical and intuitive understanding of thermodynamics. Later on, Cravalho and Smith would work closely with John Brisson and Gareth McKinley, both professors in mechanical engineering, to develop the core thermal fluids class sequence currently taught to undergraduate students â 2.005 (Thermal-Fluids Engineering I) and 2.006 (Thermal-Fluids Engineering II)....