Biography

Dr. Jeremiah Rittenhouse grew up a few miles outside of the small town of Wheaton, Missouri, population 721. After two years at Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri, he transferred to the “big city” of Rolla, Missouri in fall, 2017, for his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology. Dr. Rittenhouse earned a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology in May, 2020, and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at the same university in December, 2024. He began working on lunar dust mitigation research in 2021 and has worked with vibrations and piezoactuators since he began undergraduate research in 2019.

Dr. Rittenhouse began his educator career as a peer tutor at Crowder College in 2016 and continued tutoring at Missouri S&T in 2018. Next, he taught ME 4842, Mechanical Engineering Systems, as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) in fall 2020 and he now continues after graduation as a non-tenure track teaching professor starting at Missouri S&T in spring 2025. Dr. Rittenhouse received the Student Leadership Award in 2017 at Crowder College, has received the AMAE GTA award “in recognition of oustanding achievement in graduate student teaching… and demonstrated potential to become an excellent teacher and instructor” three times, and he earned the Dean’s Graduate Educator in spring 2024 recognizing his excellence in teaching.

The highest priority in Dr. Rittenhouse’s life is his relationship with Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, followed by his relationship with God’s people. Matthew 22:36-40. He would love to share more information. Please ask him anything, anytime about this.

In his spare time, Dr. Rittenhouse spends time in ministry and enjoys ultimate frisbee, volleyball, softball, and foosball. Some of his favorite activities are woodworking and cutting firewood. He’s pretty knowledgeable about cars and computers, but doesn’t like working on either of them. He would rather be programming a useful Python code or creating something in graphic design. His favorite thing is teaching, and his least favorite thing is academic dishonesty because “this is why we can’t have nice things.”

Research Interests

Vibrations, mechatronics, piezoelectric actuators, lunar dust mitigation

Education

• 2024 – Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology
• 2020 – B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology
• 2017 – A.S. in Pre-Engineering, Crowder College