Randy Hurd

Randy C. Hurd is an American mechanical engineer, researcher, and academic administrator. He is an associate dean in the College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology at Weber State University. He is also listed by Weber State as an assistant professor and coordinator of the Mechanical Engineering Technology program. Hurd's research focuses on experimental fluid dynamics, fluid–surface interactions, high-speed imaging, flow visualization, and engineering education.

Education and career

Hurd earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University and a PhD in mechanical engineering from Utah State University. His graduate research examined the impact dynamics of highly deformable elastomeric spheres on water. His doctoral research used high-speed cameras and image-processing techniques to investigate the interaction between deformable spheres and the water surface. From 2017 to 2020, Hurd worked as a research scientist at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division in Keyport, Washington. His work included collecting and analyzing underwater acoustic data and participating in fluid-mechanics research projects. Hurd joined Weber State University as an assistant professor in 2020. He later became involved in the administration of the College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology, where the college currently lists him as associate dean.

Utah Underwater Robotics

Hurd was a founder and former director of Utah Underwater Robotics, an educational program that introduces students to engineering through the design and construction of remotely operated underwater vehicles. The organization identifies Hurd, Professor Tadd Truscott, and Kip Hacking as members of the group that established the program. According to the organization's account, Hurd helped develop its original infrastructure, including competition rules and operating processes. Hurd also co-authored an engineering-education study about remotely operated vehicle activities and their effect on student and teacher interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The study was funded by the Office of Naval Research.

Research

Hurd's listed research interests include problem-based learning, droplet impact, free-surface impact, high-speed imaging techniques, and flow visualization. He was a co-author of the paper “Elastic spheres can walk on water,” published in Nature Communications in 2016. The paper examined how elastic spheres interact with and move across a water surface. Hurd was also a co-author of “Water entry of deformable spheres,” published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics in 2017. His doctoral dissertation, Water Surface Impact and Ricochet of Deformable Elastomeric Spheres, was submitted to Utah State University in 2017. Hurd was a co-author of “Water walking as a new mode of free surface skipping,” published in Scientific Reports in 2019.

Splash back research

Hurd contributed to research on the dynamics of liquid impacts and urinal splash back while associated with the Splash Lab. The laboratory identified him as a PhD student involved in research on urinal dynamics and a project referred to as the “urine black hole.” Hurd was an inventor on the patent “Splash prevention apparatus,” which describes a pillar-array device designed to reduce splash back from liquid impacts. The patent was published as US20180080210A1 in 2018 and granted as US10612226B2 in 2020. In 2025, Hurd was a co-author of “Splash-free urinals for global sustainability and accessibility: Design through physics and differential equations,” published in PNAS Nexus. The study examined urinal designs intended to reduce splashback and improve accessibility and sustainability. Weber State reported that the study's researchers developed two urinal designs, called Cornucopia and Nautilus, which reduced splashback to 1.4% of that produced by a typical model.

Engineering education

Hurd has worked on applying problem-based learning and practical laboratory activities in engineering education. His conference publications include work on smartphone-based laboratories, first-year bridge programs, interdisciplinary capstone projects, and remotely operated vehicle activities for STEM education. In 2023, Hurd and Dustin Grote published “Smartphone-Based Labs for Engineering Vibration Class” through the American Society for Engineering Education.

Selected publications

• Belden, Jesse; Randy C. Hurd; Michael A. Jandron; Allan F. Bower; and Tadd T. Truscott. “Elastic spheres can walk on water.” Nature Communications, 2016. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10551.
• Hurd, Randy C. Water Surface Impact and Ricochet of Deformable Elastomeric Spheres. PhD dissertation, Utah State University, 2017.
• Hurd, Randy C., et al. “Water entry of deformable spheres.” Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 2017. DOI: 10.1017/JFM.2017.365.
• Hurd, Randy C., et al. “Water walking as a new mode of free surface skipping.” Scientific Reports, 2019. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42453-x.
• Thurairajah, Kaveeshan, et al., including Randy C. Hurd. “Splash-free urinals for global sustainability and accessibility: Design through physics and differential equations.” PNAS Nexus, 2025. DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf087.
• Hurd, Randy C., and Dustin Grote. “Smartphone-Based Labs for Engineering Vibration Class.” American Society for Engineering Education, 2023.