Joseph Mahoney, Ph.D.

Joseph Mahoney

Joseph Mahoney

Ph.D.

John R. Post School of Engineering

Chair of John R. Post School of Engineering, Professor of Engineering

College of Innovation, Discovery and Enterprise

Biography

Professional Website: sites.google.com/view/jmmahoney

I am the Inaugural Chair of the John R. Post School of Engineering at Alvernia University and Professor of Mechanical Engineering. I lead the development and growth of engineering education at Alvernia, overseeing five B.S. programs: Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering Technology and Management, and Mechanical Engineering, along with the Engineering Experience and Professional Skills minor.

Since joining Alvernia in fall 2022, I have helped lead the continued expansion of the School, including the successful ABET accreditation of the Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering programs. My work includes developing and launching new academic programs, expanding advanced laboratory spaces for hands-on learning and applied research, leading accreditation efforts for our growing portfolio of programs, and cultivating industry partnerships that create real-world projects, internships, and professional opportunities for students.

My teaching and research connect engineering education, biomechanics, and computational methods. My research focuses on human movement and injury-related loading, including jogging stroller biomechanics, footstrike pattern identification, wearable sensing, markerless and low-cost motion capture, machine learning, and automated gait analysis. I have supervised undergraduate and graduate research, including more than 40 undergraduate research projects and honors theses.

I also contribute to university leadership and governance and currently serve as Chair of the Curriculum Committee. Previously, I contributed to launching the first four-year Mechanical Engineering degree at Penn State Berks and served as a University Faculty Senator and Chair of the Academic Integrity Committee.

• Ph.D. Engineering Science and Mechanics - Penn State University

• MS Mechanical Engineering - Penn State University

• BS Mechanical Engineering - Penn State University

• EGR 111: Engineering Design I Project Course (F24)

• EGR 201: Engineering Statics (F22, F23, F24)

• EGR 210: Engineering Design II (S23, S24, S25)

• EGR 211: Engineering Design II Project Course (F24)

• EGR 260: Undergraduate Engineering Colloquium (F24, F25, S26, F26)

• EGR 306: Measurement and Dynamic Response (S26)

• EGR 310: Engineering Design III (S24, S25)

• EGR 371L: Measurement and Dynamic Response Lab (S26)

• EGR 480: Engineering Capstone I (F24, F25, F26)

• EGR 481: Engineering Capstone II (S25, S26)

• EGR 485: Engineering Internship or Research Experience (S25, Su25, F25, S26, Su26)

• MAT 345: Applied Probability and Linear Methods (F23, F24, F25, F26)

• ME 201: Strength of Materials (S23, S24, S25)

• ME 271L: Strength of Materials Lab (S24, S25)

• ME 211: Thermodynamics (S23, S24)

• PHY 200L: Physics I Lab (F22)

• Running biomechanics and gait analysis, including jogging stroller biomechanics

• Markerless and low-cost motion capture and automated gait analysis

• Wearable sensors and inertial measurement units for human movement analysis

• Applied machine learning, signal processing, and computational biomechanics

• Low-cost experimental instrumentation and accessible biomechanical measurement methods

• Mahoney, J.M., Lista, A., Carbajal, D., Infantolino, B.W., and Altman-Singles, A.R. "Biomechanical tradeoffs in stroller running: Reduced vertical impact loading and increased torsional injury risk." PLOS ONE, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0332616

• Mahoney, J.M., Rhudy, M.B., Outerleys, J., Davis, I.S., and Altman-Singles, A.R. "Identification of footstrike pattern using accelerometry and machine learning." Journal of Biomechanics, 174, 112255, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2024.112255

Media Coverage

• "What running with a jogging stroller does to your body," The Washington Post, May 3, 2025. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/05/03/running-stroller-jogging-overuse-injury/

• "Running with a stroller: 2 biomechanics researchers on how it affects your form and risk of injury," The Conversation, May 6, 2025. https://theconversation.com/running-with-a-stroller-2-biomechanics-researchers-on-how-it-affects-your-form-and-risk-of-injury-252341

• "Surprising Effect of Running With a Stroller Revealed," Newsweek, October 13, 2025. https://www.newsweek.com/surprising-effect-of-running-with-a-stroller-revealed-10860978

• American Society of Biomechanics (ASB)

• IISE

Engineer in Training (EIT), Pennsylvania (Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, 2008)