Charles Knisely '71

  • Charles Knisely
    Class of 1971

    Charles Knisely, a member of the Rush-Henrietta Class of 1971, is a professor and chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa.

    Dr. Knisely is a prominent educator who has done outstanding research in the areas of flow-induced vibrations, fluid dynamics, and hydraulic gate failure. He earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1975 and a M.S. in 1978, both from Bucknell University. In 1980, he received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.

    Before joining the Bucknell faculty as an assistant professor in 1990, Dr. Knisely’s work as a research engineer took him to Switzerland and Germany. He also worked for the U.S. Navy in Bethesda, Md., and lectured in the Civil Engineering Department at Kyoto University in Japan.

    Dr. Knisely holds six patents with several more pending and is also an accomplished author of numerous professional journal articles. His expertise has earned him a spot in “Who’s Who in the East,” “Who’s Who in Science and Engineering,” “Who’s Who’s in the World,” and “Who’s Who in America.” In 2007, he was a co-author on a manuscript that won the Best Paper Award from the Japanese Society for Experimental Mechanics.

    Dr. Knisely served the Lewisburg area for many years as a youth lacrosse coach. He was a founder and head coach of the Central Susquehanna Lacrosse Club for 11 years, contributing to the sustained development of youth and high school lacrosse. He notes the influence of former Rush-Henrietta lacrosse coach, David Armstrong, on his personal development, both on and off the field.

    Like all educators, Dr. Knisely recognizes the importance of a good foundation. “I owe much of my success to the early academic training I received from many dedicated and exceptional teachers in the Rush-Henrietta school district,” he says. “In particular, I have very fond memories of some special teachers: Donna Dudley Rowe, Edna Claunch, Lucy Bodak, and Richard Ayer.”

    He and his wife have three children and live in Lewisburg, Pa.