Department of Applied Mechanics on Faculty of Mechanical Engineering on VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava was established on 1 January 2015 by merging of the Department of Mechanics and Department of Mechanics of Materials. From 1 January 2015 was by the dean of the Faculty of Engineering doc. Ing. Ivo Hlavatý Ph.D. appointed head of the newly created department - doc. Ing. Radim Halama, Ph.D. Since November 2017 took over the leadership of the department doc. Ing. Martin Fusek, Ph.D.
History of the Department
Origin of the department is historically associated with the emergence of the Mining School in 1849 in Příbram, later the school has been renamed to Vysoká škola báňská (VŠB, since 1904). Subjects, related to mechanics, have always been taught and developed in conjunction with the technology of mining.
In 1945, the school had been, thanks to Beneš decree, moved to Ostrava and at nearby Brušperk was in 1950 founded Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, which was after one year reincorporated as the Faculty of Mining Engineering to VŠB.
Department of Mechanics has been founded in 1945. From 1959 it was renamed to "Department of Technical Mechanics' and divided into Institute of Machine Parts and Institute of Statics and Dynamics. Since 1964, the Department of Mechanics has been formed by the Institute of Mechanics and Institute of Mechanics of Materials. In 1968, the department has been split into to independent departments: Department of Mechanics of Materials (head of department: prof. Ing. František Kuba, CSc.) and Department of Mechanics (head of department: prof. Ing. Adolf Slavík, CSc.).
After the regime change in 1989, in secret ballots were voted heads of both departments. - prof. Ing. Jan Ondrouch, CSc. (Department of Mechanics) and prof. Ing. Jiří Lenert, CSc. (Department of Mechanics of Materials). Under their leadership underwent extensive restructuring of study programme and was introduced a number of new subjects. Thanks to them and with the contribution of prof. Ing. Petr Horyl, CSc. a study course “Applied Mechanics” has been established. As head of the Department of Mechanics, after prof. Ing. Jan Ondrouch PhD., was appointed doc. Ing. Jiří Podešva Ph.D. As head of the Department of Mechanics of Materials, after prof. Ing. Jiří Lenert CSc., was appointed prof. Ing. Jan Fuxa PhD. and subsequently doc. Ing. Radim Halama Ph.D.