Education

  • Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1987
  • M.S., University of Pennsylvania, 1983
  • B.Sc., University of Leeds, United Kingdom, 1979

Teaching Interests

Professor Hesketh’s teaching interests include undergraduate and graduate courses on micro/nanodevices and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). His instruction emphasizes fundamental principles for the design and fabrication processes suitable for miniaturization of sensors and actuators. Multi-physics analytical techniques are essential for the successful mechanical, electrical, thermal and fluid modeling in the design of these microsystems. He integrates theoretical concepts including scaling laws with miniaturization and illustrates these phenomena with real-world examples of products manufactures using MEMS technology, fostering a comprehensive understanding.

Research Interests

Professor Hesketh’s research focuses on microfabricated devices, microsensors and microactuators. His work includes design and analysis of cantilever sensors, thermal conductivity-based gas sensors, electrochemical sensors, biosensors, and miniature gas chromatography separation systems.  He also has experience with the analysis and design of microactuators used with microvalves used in microfluidic systems. Although most of his work has an experimental focus it is supported with analysis and theoretical studies.

Recent Publications

  • R Ilhamsyah, JF Dye, D Struk, S Wu, AT Adams, PJ Hesketh, Experimental Study of Human Exhaled Breath-Like Humid Air Condensation on a Surface-Modified Aluminum in a Rectangular Flow Channel, Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications 18 (6), 061009, 2026
  • D Struk, CA Heist, J Xu, PJ Hesketh, Lithium Ion Normalization for Capillary Electrophoresis Analysis of CAFO Samples, Electrochemical Society Meeting Abstracts 247, 2776-2776, 2025
  • R Ilhamsyah, Z Liu, C Mulady, K Fibben, CA Heist, PJ Hesketh, C Zhang, ..., Assessment of Nitric Oxide Electrochemical Reaction in Liquid Medium for Biomedical Applications, Electrochemical Society Meeting Abstracts 247, 2910-2910, 2025
  • D Struk, R Ilhamsyah, JMD Dimandja, PJ Hesketh, Directed Message-Passing Neural Networks for Gas Chromatography, Separations 12 (8), 200, 2025
  • R Ilhamsyah, DR Struk, CA Heist, AT Adams, LA Brown, JMD Dimandja, ..., Evaluation of Non-Targeted Compound Discovery Capability of Dehumidified Alveolar Exhaled Breath Collection by Using Stirbar Sorptive Extraction and Multidimensional Gas …, Journal of Chromatography A, 466454, 2025