Education

• Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering, University of Tulsa, 2026
• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, LeTourneau University, 2019

My name is Dr. John Garrett Williamson, and I am an assistant professor here at LeTourneau University.

I came to LeTourneau to pursue an undergraduate degree in 2015. Because of my immature faith and some medical issues, I would not have thrived at most colleges, but God had better plans. The students and faculty of LeTourneau met and loved me where I was at and I grew so much because of them. I made lifelong friends, learned so much about engineering, and grew in my faith more than I can properly convey.

When I graduated in 2019, a friend recommended me for a research position at the University of Tulsa working under Dr. Joshua Schultz. That friend, then Emily McCloy, and I started dating shortly after and got married in 2022. Though grad school was not easy, God had used LeTourneau to prepare me for it, and when I received my Ph.D. in 2026 and was offered a position back at LeTourneau, I happily accepted.

I believe that God has called and equipped me to teach this subject that I enjoy so much at this university that I love so much. I pray that He will use me to have the same kind of effect on the lives of my young students as my professors had on me.

If you are a prospective student reading this and wondering whether LeTourneau can prepare you as an engineer, I can tell you that it prepared me to finish a doctorate working in soft robotics and traveling around the world to present in France, Singapore, Switzerland, and other places.

If you are a parent wondering whether this is the right place for your son or daughter, I can tell you that this community cares for its students more than I can appropriately convey. Their time here will not be easy, but an easy degree is rarely worth having. However, they will have every support from their professors and peers that you can imagine.

Teaching

I love teaching in the classroom and mentoring students on a more personal level as well. I have enjoyed helping students grasp complex concepts since my time as an undergraduate head tutor right here in the LeTourneau math lab. During my graduate studies, I gained hands-on instruction experience, from leading dynamics recitations where students collaboratively solved problems on whiteboards, to designing and teaching an intensive SolidWorks modeling course for electrical engineering seniors. I also developed and ran practical soft robotics labs, guiding undergraduates through the manufacturing and tracking of pneumatic actuators. I believe strongly in LeTourneau’s active, practical approach to learning, and love that “ding” moment when a student grasps something they previously hadn’t. My goal is to ensure students not only understand the underlying math and physics, but also feel confident applying those principles to real-world design and manufacturing challenges.

Research

My research is in soft robotics. If you have seen Baymax from Big Hero 6, that was inspired by a member of my field named Christopher G. Atkeson. The goal of my field is to make robots that move more like octopi than like beetles. Instead of hard links connected by rotating joints, our robots squish and deform to change their shape and navigate their environment.

My work specifically centered on how our robots sense their environment and their own poses. I embed optical deformation sensors into the skin of my robots. These sensors act like nerves in the robot allowing it to sense its environment and its own pose.

I like to bring students into this research whenever I can and have mentored multiple undergraduates in my specific research and general research, engineering, and lab skills.

Hobbies & Interests

When not teaching or researching engineering, I tend to… well… do more engineering. I love 3D printing, tinkering projects, and video games like Space Engineers, Satisfactory, and Factorio. I do, however, enjoy backpacking, when I can find the time. I also love to read science fiction, fantasy, and theology. Some of my favorite writers are C.S. Lewis, Timothy Keller, Andy Weir, and Brandon Sanderson.