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How Penn State World Campus helps develop the work forces of the future

9/7/2023

This article originally appeared on Penn State News. The partnership between the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering program and aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney is highlighted. A recent graduate discusses the opportunities the collaboration provided her.

Penn State receives $3M grant to address insect biodiversity crisis

8/28/2023

A team of Penn State researchers has received a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to spearhead a new initiative to create novel monitoring systems for insect populations.

Engineering researcher joining Institutes of Energy and the Environment

8/15/2023

Derek Hall, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, is joining the Institutes of Energy and the Environment on Aug. 15. Hall’s research interests include electrochemical energy conversion systems, electrochemical sensors, and the study of liquid-solid interfaces.

Five engineering student teams honored in national airport design competition

8/11/2023

Five student teams from Penn State’s Engineering Leadership Development program in the School of Engineering Design and Innovation earned recognition in the 17th-annual University Design Competition for Addressing Airport Needs, sponsored by the Transportation Research Board’s Airport Cooperative Research Program.

Q&A: Carbon voyage

8/9/2023

Researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering received a $2 million grant from the Navy Decarbonization Research Consortium to study shipboard carbon capture and alternative fuel utilization. The project is summarized in a Q&A with Associate Professor Brian Fronk.

Kathryn Jablokow elected to national society's board of governors

8/3/2023

Kathryn Jablokow, professor of engineering design and mechanical engineering was elected to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Board of Governors for the 2023-26 term.

Mechanical engineering doctoral student named 2023 Amelia Earhart Fellow

7/6/2023

Jennifer Colborn, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering at Penn State, has been selected to receive the Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship for the 2023-24 academic year.

Penn State announces non-tenure-line faculty promotions, effective July 1, 2023

6/30/2023

Non-tenure-line faculty promotions at Penn State, effective July 1, 2023, include more than 20 engineering faculty members.

NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant announces its 2023 fellowship, scholarship winners

6/29/2023

Fourteen graduate students from Penn State have been awarded research fellowships from the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium, including three from the College of Engineering.

Penn State rises 10 places in 2024 QS World University Rankings

6/28/2023

Story summary (1-2 sentences; appears as the blurb in Penn State News/COE News and used in social): Penn State ranked No. 83 in the world — a jump of 10 positions from No. 93 last year — in the recently released 2024 QS World University Rankings, placing the University in the top 6% worldwide among the 1,500 institutions ranked by QS.

Follow the leader: Researchers identify mechanism of cancer invasion

6/26/2023

A Penn State-led research team identified a molecular marker to predict the invasiveness of a cancerous tumor and how the cells may invade elsewhere in the body.

Stephen Lynch receives achievement award from international mechanical engineering society

6/23/2023

Stephen Lynch, associate professor of mechanical engineering, received the George Westinghouse Silver Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

3D-printed ceramics may increase gas turbine fuel efficiency, researchers report

6/20/2023

A team that includes Penn State researchers recently 3D printed a turbine component with ceramics, which are more heat tolerant than the conventional metals. The resulting component has complex internal cooling features that enable it to withstand higher temperatures and, as a result, increase fuel efficiency.

Daniel Cortes receives inaugural ASME bioengineering team science medal

6/15/2023

Daniel Cortes, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, is a member of the research team that received the inaugural Edward Grood Interdisciplinary Team Science Medal in Bioengineering from the bioengineering division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

College of Engineering recognizes 2023 Early Career Award recipients

6/12/2023

The Penn State College of Engineering will recognize 10 alumni with the Early Career Award for their achievements and demonstrated commitment to their professions, communities and Penn State at a ceremony on June 16 at University Park.

NASA-funded student team builds microwave system to smelt metal on the moon

6/12/2023

A team of undergraduate students in Penn State’s Student Space Programs Laboratory, housed in the College of Engineering’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, was one of seven university teams selected to receive funding from NASA to build a prototype in the BIG Idea Challenge. Penn State received $130,000 to develop a microwave system that can smelt metal on the moon.

Penn State announces tenure-line faculty promotions, effective July 1, 2023

6/12/2023

Tenured and tenure-line faculty promotions at Penn State, effective July 1, 2023, include more than 25 engineering faculty members.

Penn State mechanical engineering student Ian Rivera earns Astronaut Scholarship

6/2/2023

Ian Rivera, a third-year Millennium Scholar from Caguas, Puerto Rico, majoring in mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, has earned a 2023 Astronaut Scholarship.

Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program Fellows announced

6/1/2023

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program announced six new 2023-24 fellows from Penn State, including two from the College of Engineering.

Mary Frecker receives American Society of Mechanical Engineers mentorship award

6/1/2023

Mary Frecker, department head and professor of mechanical engineering, Riess Chair of Engineering and director of the Penn State Center for Biodevices, received the 2023 McDonald Mentoring Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Media mention: ‘What Will It Take to Charge Electric Vehicles Faster?’

5/24/2023

Christopher Rahn, J. Lee Everett professor of mechanical engineering, is quoted in a Smithsonian Magazine article about electric vehicles, range anxiety and the technology needed to improve EV charge times.

Energy, environmental seed grants awarded to interdisciplinary research teams

5/2/2023

Nineteen interdisciplinary research teams received funding through the Institutes of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) Seed Grant Program for 2023. This includes more than 75 researchers who are affiliated with 10 colleges and research units across seven Penn State campuses.

Scarlett Miller selected as Administrative Fellow for 2023-2024

4/28/2023

The Administrative Fellows Program offers Penn State faculty and staff the opportunity to work with senior University officers to gain knowledge and experiences pertaining to leadership in the academic community. Scarlett Miller, professor of engineering design, of industrial engineering and of mechanical engineering, was named one of three Fellows for the 2023-24 year.

Berks students take first place in Women in Engineering Design Competition

4/26/2023

Penn State Berks students Lillie Mohn, a mechanical engineering major, and Jenicy Strong, a computer engineering major, took first place in the fourth Women in Engineering Design Competition at Penn State Altoona.

College of Engineering names student marshals for spring 2023 commencement

4/25/2023

The Penn State College of Engineering has named its student marshals for the spring 2023 commencement ceremony. One student is selected to represent each of the 14 majors associated with the college and the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

Engineering graduate students earn prizes at 2023 Graduate Exhibition

4/11/2023

Seven Penn State engineering graduate students earned first-, second- or third-place prizes at the 2023 Graduate Exhibition, held March 20-24 on the University Park campus and online.

Fish-inspired, compliant power sources may help power space applications 

4/10/2023

A research lab at Penn State will equally share a three-year, $2.55 million grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) to develop a framework for the design and production of soft, self-charging, bio-inspired power sources for applications in space.

Mechanical engineering graduate student recognized with outstanding teaching award

4/6/2023

Penn State has announced that 10 graduate students have been selected as recipients of the Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award. One of the recipients was Ankit Saxena, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering.

Penn State team to participate in NASA's Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project

4/6/2023

A team co-led by the Penn State Student Space Programs Lab has been selected as one of 70 teams to participate in the 2023-24 Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project, co-sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation.

Seven graduate students recognized with University awards

4/6/2023

Forty Penn State graduate students, seven of whom are students in the College of Engineering, were named recipients of Penn State’s annual graduate student awards, administered by the Graduate School in collaboration with several Penn State units.

Mechanical engineering undergraduate wins global society poster competition

3/30/2023

Caleb Fronk, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student at Penn State, won first prize in the undergraduate poster competition at TMS 2023 in San Diego.

Five student startups win funding in Inc.U Competition

3/24/2023

Undergraduate students from the College of Engineering at Penn State were among the winners of the 2023 Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition.

Mechanical engineering takes steps to prepare students for modern job market

3/22/2023

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers published an article highlighting the importance of leadership skills for engineering students. The article mentions the skill building resources available to Penn State students through the department of mechanical engineering.

Online engineering degrees help students and alumni find career success

3/22/2023

Penn State World Campus highlighting online engineering degrees as part of the celebration of its 25th anniversary

Student capstone project highlighted by industry consulting company

3/16/2023

Hannah Luben, who graduated from Penn State with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering in 2021, had her senior capstone project featured in a story by Lab Midwest, an education consulting company.

$26M START Lab expansion to advance sustainable power and propulsion

3/15/2023

Pratt & Whitney, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Lab (DOE-NETL) and Penn State have joined together in a project involves a $26 million commitment to support the Steady Thermal Aero Research Turbine Lab in both expanding the existing capabilities, as well as adding a new, two-stage turbine rig referred to as START+ at University Park.

Propelling the future: A Q&A with START Lab Director Karen Thole

3/15/2023

A $26 million commitment from Pratt & Whitney, the Federal Aviation Administration the DOE-NETL and Penn State will support the expansion of the START Lab and the creation of START+. START Lab Director and Penn State Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering Karen Thole answered a few questions about gas turbine technologies, the START Lab and the upcoming expansion.

Jacqueline O'Connor wins international award from Combustion Institute

3/10/2023

Jacqueline O'Connor, associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Center for Gas Turbine Research, Education, and Outreach at Penn State, is a recipient of The Combustion Institute’s 2023 Hiroshi Tsuji Early Career Researcher Award.

Leonhard Center speaking contest showcases students’ communication skills

3/10/2023

The Penn State College of Engineering’s Leonhard Center for Enhancement of Engineering Education held its biannual speaking contest on Feb. 7, showcasing students’ skills in translating technical knowledge into engaging presentations.

Eleven alumni to receive College of Engineering's highest honor

3/8/2023

Eleven Penn State engineering graduates have been selected to receive the College of Engineering’s Outstanding Engineering Alumni Awards. The ceremony will take place on March 13 at The Penn Stater.

A Spotlight on Women in Engineering

3/7/2023

Alumni and students of Penn State’s graduate engineering programs shared insights into why they wanted to pursue an advanced degree.

Berks LaunchBox co-working companies celebrate major milestones

3/7/2023

Two Penn State Berks LaunchBox co-working companies are celebrating major milestones for their startups this week.

3D printing of medical devices focus of $2 million NSF grant

3/6/2023

Researchers from Penn State and the University of Texas at Austin have received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation's LEAP-HI program to tackle the challenge of designing and 3D printing smart devices using multiple materials.

Five engineers recognized with NSF early career awards

3/6/2023

Five faculty members in Penn State’s College of Engineering were recognized with National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards. Each project ranges in duration from three and a half to five years, funded by grants worth roughly $500,000.

Graduate students win best paper awards at international acoustics conference

3/6/2023

Four Penn State graduate students received best paper awards at recent meetings of the Acoustical Society of America.

2023 NSF CAREER Award: Linxiao Zhu

3/3/2023

Linxiao Zhu, John J. and Jean M. Brennan Clean Energy Early Career Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, earned a five year, $556,384 NSF CAREER Award for a project titled “Probing and Understanding Nonreciprocal and Topological Radiative Heat Transport in Many-body Magnetized Systems.”

Engineers design metasurfaces to help control surface wave propagation

3/3/2023

Penn State College of Engineering researchers have used a strategic design approach called the topology optimization method to design metasurfaces that control surface waves.

Convergence Center for Living Multifunctional Materials Systems featured

2/27/2023

The Convergence Center for Living Multifunctional Materials Systems was recently featured in a video story on the Penn State’s 'One Community Impacting Many' website.

NASA program extends research opportunities for underrepresented students in STEM

2/27/2023

The NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium Research Internship Program offers early research opportunities to women and other underrepresented individuals in STEM.

Committee advances plan to rename CATO Park building for engineering alumna

2/16/2023

The Board of Trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning advanced a proposed name change to 2137 Research Drive in State College to the Lidia Manson Building, in honor of the first woman to receive a master’s degree in engineering from Penn State.

Three engineering professors earn national recognition

2/16/2023

Three College of Engineering faculty received awards from the 2023 Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator Research Program (YIP).

17 new faculty members join the College of Engineering

2/14/2023

Seventeen new faculty members have joined the Penn State College of Engineering since early fall 2022. The 12 tenured or tenure-line faculty and six professional track faculty represent 11 units and departments and include one new department head.

Researchers earn grant to study real-time animal and robot locomotion

2/6/2023

Two Penn State mechanical engineers will use a $320,000 grant to develop equipment that enables them to study animal locomotion controls in nature and potentially engineer bio-inspired robots.

Tamy Guimarães recognized for building connections between Brazil and US

2/6/2023

Tamy Guimarães, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State, was named a 2022 recipient of the Embassy of Brazil’s Science and Technology Prize.

'Growing Impact' podcast discusses making fuels from waste

2/2/2023

The latest episode of the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment Growing Impact podcast features Jacqueline O’Connor, associate professor of mechanical engineering, who discussed her project investigating hydrochars, a proposed replacement for coal.

Karen Thole recognized by ASME; chosen for US Air Force board

1/23/2023

Karen Thole, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, received an award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and was appointed to serve on the Department of Air Force Scientific Advisory Board for her expertise.

Amrita Basak addresses Army roundtable on metal additive manufacturing

1/13/2023

In October, Amrita Basak, Penn State assistant professor of mechanical engineering, spoke at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Army Logistics Roundtable on additive manufacturing in resource-limited environments.

Beese named co-director of additive manufacturing center CIMP-3D

1/10/2023

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Allison Beese, associate professor of materials science and engineering and of mechanical engineering, will serve as co-director of the Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition, effective Jan 1.

Event lifts curtain on a bright future for materials research

1/6/2023

The Penn State Materials Research Institute held their annual Materials Day in October, with the theme "Materials Impacting Society." Several engineering faculty participated.

Media mention: ‘Reverse-engineered hummingbird wings could inspire new drone designs’

12/30/2022

Research led by Bo Cheng, Kenneth K. and Olivia J. Kuo Early Career Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State, in aerial drone design was recently featured in an article by Popular Science.

GivingTuesday gifts to engineering up more than 152% compared to 2021

12/22/2022

The Penn State College of Engineering fundraised $46,291 from 254 gifts on GivingTuesday, which took place on Dec. 8. The funds will benefit students largely through scholarships, as well as supplement resources for materials and experiences.

Mechanical engineer’s work named in The Guardian’s top 10 science stories of 2022

12/21/2022

Electric vehicle battery research conducted by Chao-Yang Wang, the William E. Diefenderfer Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, was named one of the top ten most significant scientific developments of the year by The Guardian.

Improving understanding, collaboration throughout energy supply chain

12/16/2022

Jacqueline O’Connor, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, recently collaborated with colleagues to edit a book titled Renewable Fuels: Sources, Conversion, and Utilization. The editors aim to increase energy literacy and bridge the disconnect between those who make fuels and those who use them.

Center receives NSF International Research Experiences for Students grant

12/13/2022

Penn State’s Convergence Center for Living Multifunctional Material Systems received a $300,000 International Research Experiences for Students grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a research exchange program with the University of Freiburg in Germany.

News Hummingbird flight could provide insights for biomimicry in aerial vehicles

12/9/2022

Hummingbirds have extreme aerial agility and flight forms, which is why many aerial vehicles are designed to mimic hummingbird movement. Using a novel modeling method, researchers gained new insights into how hummingbirds produce wing movement, which could lead to design improvements in flying robots.

Jacqueline O’Connor serves on editorial team for new book on renewable fuels

12/7/2022

Jacqueline O’Connor, director of the Center for Gas Turbine Research, Education, and Outreach and associate professor of mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, served on the editorial team for a recently published book, Renewable Fuels: Sources, Conversion, and Utilization.

Xiaogang Hu to lead Penn State assistive device efforts for stroke survivors at new center

12/7/2022

Xiaogang Hu, associate professor of mechanical engineering and Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Neurorehabilitation, will lead Penn State’s efforts in the newly funded Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center in Assisting Stroke Survivors with Engineering Technology.

Students invited to apply to new propulsion and power summer research program

12/2/2022

Applications are now being accepted for a summer 2023 undergraduate research experience in the Penn State College of Engineering. Students from across the country can conduct next-generation propulsion and power research and work closely with leading academic experts through the new program.

Mechanical engineer Jing Du receives young leader award from global society

11/30/2022

Jing Du, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, was selected for the Young Leaders Professional Development Award by the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS).

Penn State Berks student is flying high with a mechanical engineering degree

11/30/2022

Penn State student Jeff Jackman earned his associate degree in air and space operations technology through the G.I. Bill. He continued his education at Penn State Berks and on Dec. 15 will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Materials Research Institute names 2022 Roy Award Winners

11/21/2022

Seven Penn State materials researchers have received the 2022 Rustum and Della Roy Innovation in Materials Research Award, including five in the College of Engineering.

Fruit flies use corrective movements to maintain stability after injury

11/18/2022

Fruit flies can quickly compensate for catastrophic wing injuries, researchers found, maintaining the same stability after losing up to 40% of a wing. This finding could inform the design of versatile robots, which face the similar challenge of having to quickly adapt to mishaps in the field.

Penn State student selected for Rising Stars in Mechanical Engineering workshop

11/18/2022

Mechanical engineering doctoral student Xiaoyue Zhao was selected to participate in the Rising Stars in Mechanical Engineering workshop, held Oct. 6-7 at Stanford University.

Michael Barringer selected as ASME fellow

11/10/2022

Michael Barringer, associate research professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, was named to the most recent class of fellows for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Penn State adaptive screen system for buildings featured in Lisbon Triennale

11/8/2022

A Penn State-designed window screen system that automatically changes its shape based on indoor and outdoor environmental conditions is part of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal through Dec. 5.

First-generation college students display resilience on path toward graduation

11/2/2022

Penn State will hold its annual First-Generation Celebration on Nov. 8, celebrating Penn Staters, promoting campus resources and bringing awareness to the first-generation community at Penn State. Recent Penn State first-generation mechanical engineering graduate Mahima Kania reflects on her college experience.

Professor Emeritus Martin Trethewey receives Freiburg University Medal

10/28/2022

On Sept. 22, University of Freiburg Rector Kerstin Krieglstein presented the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg’s University Medal to Martin Trethewey, Penn State professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, for his efforts in forging a global collaboration between the two universities.

Tim Simpson receives ASME Design Theory and Methodology Award

10/26/2022

Tim Simpson, Paul Morrow Professor in Engineering Design and Manufacturing in the Penn State College of Engineering, has received the Design Theory and Methodology Award from the Design Engineering Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Battery tech breakthrough paves way for mass adoption of affordable electric car

10/12/2022

A breakthrough in electric vehicle battery design has enabled a 10-minute charge time for a typical EV battery. The record-breaking combination of a shorter charge time and more energy acquired for longer travel range was announced today (Oct. 12) in the journal Nature.

28 new faculty members join the College of Engineering

10/6/2022

Twenty-eight new faculty members have joined the Penn State College of Engineering since the end of the spring semester. The 17 tenured or tenure-line members and 11 non-tenure-line members represent 12 units and departments and include two new department heads.

Engineer earns DARPA Young Faculty Award for multi-laser additive manufacturing

10/6/2022

Amrita Basak, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, has received a two-year, $498,235 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award for her work predicting and preventing thermal deformation in multi-laser additive manufacturing.

Penn State Scranton dedicates new Engineering Building

10/6/2022

Penn State Scranton dedicated its new Engineering Building on Thursday, Oct. 6, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that featured Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi as a keynote speaker and approximately 100 guests, including University and community leaders, donors, faculty, staff and students.

Media Mention: ‘Americans are larger. Should the FAA stop airplane seats from shrinking?’

10/1/2022

Matthew Parkinson, professor of engineering design, mechanical engineering and industrial and manufacturing engineering, was quoted in a Washington Post article about the debate surrounding standard airplane seat sizing.

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