He teaches in the area of thermal engineering including thermodynamics, heat transfer, and thermal design. He has also taught the capstone design course for the department. Dr. Somerton has research interests in computer design of thermal systems, appropriate technology, and application of continuous quality improvement principles to engineering education. He received his B.S. in 1976, his M.S. in 1979, and his Ph.D. in 1982, all in engineering from UCLA.