Dale Wilson is a professor of mechanical engineering at Tennessee Tech, and is currently serving as interim chair of the Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Department on campus. He received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia, all in mechanical engineering. He previously served for four years as chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Tech, has thirty years of academic experience, and six years of industrial experience as a senior engineer at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. He has applied research projects with numerous companies and government agencies. His research interests are focused on the mechanical behavior of material, especially fatigue and fracture, as well as the mechanical design process.

Professor Wilson is active in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as a section chair, and also in the Society of Automotive Engineers as a faculty adviser to the Baja SAE team. He is active as well in the American Society for Engineering Education as the mechanical engineering division chair and materials division chair. He has participated in a number of outreach efforts such as Odyssey of the Mind, Lego League, and the Governors School on Emerging Technologies. He is a mechanical engineering program evaluator for the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and is a registered Professional Engineer.