Dr. Mark L. Hornick

Dr. Mark L. Hornick is Professor Emeritus in the Software Engineering Program in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).
I retired from full-time service in June 2017, and taught part-time until May 2020, when I retired permanently.

I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanics, Mechanical, & Aerospace Engineering (1980, Illinois Institute of Technology), a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (1982, UW-Madison) and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering (1985, UW-Madison). My first professional practice of computer programming came when I was a summer intern in the Design Analysis department of the International Harvester Company, where I coded algorithms for computation & display of stresses in structural elements.  In graduate school, my research focus concerned simulation of multi-body systems with kinematic constraints. My PhD dissertation resulted in the creation of a program for robotic path planning & optimization including 3-D graphics simulation.

Beginning my post-graduate career in 1986 with Allen-Bradley (now Rockwell Automation), I worked as an R&D project engineer in the Motion Control group of A-B's Corporate Technology Division. In 1987, I joined ASEA Robotics (now ABB) as Sr. Software Engineer & for the subsequent 17 years as Principal Engineer, Development Manager, and Director, where I helped create & later manage ABB's Industrial Software Products group.

In industry, I learned that management pays well, but is more stressful and less productive than pure technical work. So when the opportunity arose in 2004, I joined MSOE, where I was able to re-engage in engineering - teaching and mentoring aspiring engineering students for the next 16 years.

I spend my time:
reading
playing piano badly
turning wood into sawdust and shavings using various power and hand tools
building things
bicycle touring

Early in my career I had ambitions to do basic research in robotics, and wrote some papers:
Publications
Once I became a manager, my output consisted primarily of spreadsheets...

My wife Laurel and I are the parents of daughters Madeleine and Elissa.

Contact information:

This page was last updated on 09/15/2020.