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The Dean is pleased to recognize Mark Lanier as the recipient of this month’s Excellence in Mastering Challenges Continuously (E=mc²) Award! This award was established by Dean Quintanilla in 2023 to recognize outstanding efforts among full-time staff members within the College of Science and its departments. 

“I am honored and surprised to have been nominated for this award,” said Mark, who has worked nearly six years in the physics machine shop. “The work we do is a team effort, and I have the utmost respect and appreciation for our staff, faculty, and students here at UNT. I look forward to many exciting and creative collaborations in the future.” 

Mark and his machine shop colleague Tracy Lynch, who received the E=mc² award in September, collaborate with faculty and graduate students on research projects across campus, setting up new labs, building machinery, and maintaining and repairing sensitive equipment. 

“An average day in the machine shop is never average!” said Mark. “My favorite projects over the years have included refurbishing an antique telescope, building a COVID-detecting breathalyzer, creating a bomb-sniffing drone, and building a treadmill for a bird.” 

“Mark is proficient in mechanical parts, CNC fabrication, and accurate design and process of mechanical parts from micrometers to meters size,” said colleague Yan Jiang, a senior laboratory supervisor in UNT Physics. “He has helped solve many important problems from scientific projects to office furniture to professional lab suppliance. I'm very glad to have him as my colleague helping solve problems.” 

Mark spent the last thirty-five years as a machinist, programmer, and process engineer in the manufacturing industry. Prior to coming to UNT, he was a test technician in an engineering lab for offshore oil exploration and military applications. 

“My favorite thing about life at UNT has been the friendships I’ve made with my peers, the insights I’ve gained into the lives of people from all over the world, and the privilege of using my skills to make a living,” said Mark. “We have a lot of brilliant and creative people here at UNT and it is very rewarding to support them in their endeavors.” 

Outside of work Mark enjoys paddleboarding at Lake Ray Roberts, performing in community theater, singing karaoke, learning Spanish, and running a small farm with his wife.  He is among less than 1% of the population born with heterochromia, or two different eye colors. 

The machine shop was established in the 1960s to build specialty equipment and instruments for the Physics Department. Since then, it has evolved to support many of the research labs on the campus, as well as other departments such as facilities, private entities, and universities outside of UNT. For more information, visit: https://physics.unt.edu/resources/physics-machine-shop