Faculty Directory

EDUCATION

• Ph.D. Aerospace Engineering (UMD, 1991)
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering (UMD, 1981)
• B.S. Fire Protection Engineering (UMD, 1976)
• B.S. Physics (Ursinus College, 1974)

BACKGROUND

A member of the faculty since 1977, Dr. Milke is a Professor in the Department. He served as Department Chair from 2011-2023. His principal areas of expertise involve smoke management, fire detection and analyzing the response of materials exposed to fire conditions. Milke is also director of the distance option for the Master of Engineering Program.

In 1991, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in Aerospace Engineering. He received a Master of Science degree from the University of Maryland in Mechanical Engineering and is a 1976 graduate of the Fire Protection Engineering program. Dr. Milke also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Ursinus College.

Dr. Milke is a Fellow and a past President of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). He is a member of several professional societies, including SFPE, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the International Association for Fire Safety Science. He is a member of the Fire Council of Underwriters Laboratories and was a member of the NFPA Standards Council. He is a past-chair of the NFPA Technical Committee on Smoke Management Systems and the ASCE/SFPE committee, "Structural Design for Fire Conditions." He was a member of the Core Group of the FEMA Building Performance Assessment Team for the World Trade Center incident on September 11, 2001.

Dr. Milke has served as a Research Fire Prevention Engineer at the Center for Fire Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and as the Fire Protection Engineer for Fairfax County, Virginia.  

HONORS AND AWARDS

Dr. Milke has received awards from several organizations, as indicated below:

• 2023, American Fire Sprinkler Association, Henry S. Parmelee Award
• 2023, National Fire Protection Association Distinguished Service Award 
• 2022, Best Paper Award 2021, Editor’s Choice for best paper in Volume 56 (2020) of Fire Technology
• 2021, Harmathy Award, for best paper in Volume 56 (2020) of Fire Technology
• 2018, Fire Industry Leadership Award, Siemens Building Technology Division
• 2017, ASHRAE 2016 Technical Paper Award
• 2016, Arthur B. Guise Award, Society of Fire Protection Engineers
• 2013, Ronald K. Mengel Award for best paper at 2013 Suppression, Detection and Signaling Research and Applications Symposium, with R. Zevotek and T. Fabian
• 2012, 2011 Person of the Year, Automatic Fire Alarm Association
• 2009, John L. Bryan Mentoring Award, Society of Fire Protection Engineers
• 2007, Founders Award, Chesapeake Chapter of SFPE
• 2007, Jack Bono Engineering Communications Award, Society of Fire Protection Engineers
• 2006, Faculty Service Award, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland
• 2002, Harry C. Bigglestone Award, for best paper in Volume 37 (2001) of Fire Technology
• 2002, Harold E. Nelson Award, Society of Fire Protection Engineers
• 2000, Harry C. Bigglestone Award, for best paper in Volume 35 (1999) of Fire Technology
• 1999, Best Paper for ICFRE2 conference, with S. Hill and J. Quintiere
• 1996, Harry C. Bigglestone Award, for best paper in Volume 31 (1995) of Fire Technology
• 1995, John J. Ahern President’s Award, Society of Fire Protection Engineers
• 1994, E. Robert Kent Outstanding Teaching Award, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland
• 1988, Director's Award, Society of Fire Protection Engineers