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6/4/2026
Steve Lynch, professor of mechanical engineering, received the 2026 Boelter-McAdams Prize from the Heat Transfer Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of heat transfer and honors individuals whose research has advanced fundamental understanding and practical applications in thermal sciences.
5/26/2026
Learn from Penn State College of Engineering researchers who study birds, fish, lizards, insects and other animals to develop innovative machines that deepen our understanding of the world around us.
5/12/2026
When aerospace companies build digital models of new aircraft, they often combine computer-aided design (CAD) files for individual parts into a single system. However, these combined models are frequently geometrically inconsistent and correcting them to remove errors and unwanted features is a time-consuming, manual process.
Penn State Mechanical Engineering Professor David Williams, alongside mechanical engineering doctoral student Chun Sen Liu, is working to automate this process.
5/11/2026
Reid Berdanier was awarded the Bryant Early Career Professorship, a three-year professorship that he will hold until 2028. Berdanier’s award makes him the eighth current Early Career Professor in Mechanical Engineering.
5/11/2026
Amrita Basak, Shuman Family Early Career Professor, says the award represents the variety of skill and knowledge of her collective group.
5/11/2026
Bladimir Ramos-Alvarado, Kenneth Kuan-Yin Koe Early Career Professor in mechanical engineering, uses this award to create more opportunities for students.
5/11/2026
Herschel Pangborn, Shuman Family Early Career Professor, says the award will support bridging the gap between fundamental theories to real-world applications.
5/11/2026
Jean-Michel Mongeau, Shuman Family Early Career Professor, says this award will enable new research directions while supporting student training.
5/11/2026
Margaret Byron, Tretheway Early Career Professor, is using the award to reluanch some areas of her research and provide more opportunities for her students.
5/11/2026
Reid Berdanier, Bryant Early Career Professor, says the award will support his research efforts in driving innovative energy solutions.
5/11/2026
Samuel Grauer, Kenneth Kuan-Yun Kuo Early Career Professor in mechanical engineering, says he is “honored to carry the name” of a faculty member whose ethos was foundational to him.
5/11/2026
Xiang Yang, Kenneth K. & Olivia J. Kuo Early Career Professor in mechanical engineering, believes the professorship creates opportunities for him and his students to expand and strengthen their research network.
5/8/2026
Two Penn State College of Engineering faculty members, Karen Thole and Adri van Duin, were named Evan Pugh University Professors, one of the University’s highest faculty honors. The distinction recognizes their internationally recognized research leadership, innovation, teaching excellence and contributions to advancing engineering and scientific discovery.
5/4/2026
The Penn State Shell Eco-Marathon Team finished in fourth place at the 2026 Shell Eco-Marathon United States Challenge, which took place April 7-11 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis.
5/1/2026
A team of Nittany Lion Consulting Group (NLCG) students recently took first place in Deloitte’s National Undergraduate Case Competition held at Deloitte University in Westlake, Texas.
5/1/2026
Evelyn Thomas, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering, received the National Society of Black Engineers’ (NSBE) Graduate Student of the Year award. The award is part of NSBE’s annual Golden Torch Awards ceremony, which recognizes the exemplary achievements of engineers who demonstrate excellence and impact within the STEM community.
4/29/2026
Five non-tenure-line faculty will use Opportunity Grants to fund a project of their choosing during the 2026-27 academic year. Opportunity Grants are designed for clinical, teaching, research and professors of practice faculty to receive funding for professional development through a self-proposed project.
4/28/2026
Penn State University Libraries and the Schreyer Honors College will recognize the 15th annual finalists and the afternoon’s juried winner of the?Robert F. Guentter Jr. Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award?on May 7, immediately following the three finalists’ 3 p.m. presentations.
4/28/2026
Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team (AVT) has been accepted into the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Argonne National Laboratory’s four-year EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, which challenges university students to design and build intelligent mobility solutions and innovative products using emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence for engineering tools, machine learning and exascale computing.
4/24/2026
Baxi Chong is one of several Penn State researchers capitalizing on unique biological features found in the living ecosystem to develop and expand the field of biorobotics.
4/14/2026
Penn State is recognizing 42 outstanding graduate students, six of whom are College of Engineering students, with awards that highlight their impact across the University, specifically in the areas of scholarship, teaching, outreach and mentoring. These students will be acknowledged at a special luncheon on April 15.
4/10/2026
The newly established Digital Twins Hub, housed under the Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS), has launched a new program to spotlight University researchers utilizing digital twins in innovative ways and to bridge the literacy gap between emerging technologies and undergraduate education.
4/9/2026
The Penn State College of Engineering has named its student marshals for the spring 2026 commencement, recognizing top students from each major and ROTC for academic excellence and leadership. The honor highlights their achievements and contributions to the engineering community as they prepare to graduate.
4/9/2026
The winners of the 18th annual Materials Visualization Competition (MVC) have been announced. MVC is a scientific visual and artistic competition that celebrates the quality of research in materials at Penn State and promotes awareness of materials science through visualization. MVC is sponsored by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Materials Research Institute.
4/6/2026
The Penn State College of Engineering will recognize 21 alumni with the 2026 Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award and Early Career Award in a ceremony on April 9 in the State Theatre. The event marks the second year in which the two awards will be presented during a combined ceremony.
4/1/2026
The Henry Luce Foundation has awarded Penn State a $700,000 grant through the Clare Boothe Luce (CBL) Program for Women in STEM to support the University's Clare Boothe Luce Women in STEM (CBL WISe Initiative.
3/30/2026
As a kickoff to Penn State Startup Week, six student teams pitched their startups to a panel of judges, competing for prizes totaling $35,500 in funding in the 2026 Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition. Three of the teams that were awarded funding — Now You Know, Surge and Whirl Pong — were led by College of Engineering students.
3/18/2026
Margaret Byron, Martin W. Trethewey Early Career Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State, was selected as a 2025 5 Sigma Physicist Honoree by the American Physical Society.
3/16/2026
An undergraduate team of Penn State engineering students earned first place in the Airport Management and Planning Challenge at the University Design Competition for Addressing Airport Needs. The competition, hosted by the Transportation Research Board’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), “encourages students to design innovative and practical solutions to challenges at airports,” according to the ACRP’s news release.
3/16/2026
Allen Nunes, a third-yesr studying mechanical engineering major, has been selected for the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship Class of 2026, a nationally competitive program that connects top students with leading aerospace companies through paid internships, mentorship and financial support. The fellowship continues its mission of expanding pathways into the aerospace industry while honoring the legacy of trailblazer Patti Grace Smith.
3/16/2026
The Penn State chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is organizing a large-scale, student-run combat robotics competition that will bring together 12 teams from seven campus organizations. The event aims to showcase hands-on engineering design, interdisciplinary collaboration and student innovation within the College of Engineering.
2/26/2026
Allison Beese, professor of materials science and engineering and of mechanical engineering at Penn State, has been named the senior associate director of Penn State’s new National Security Institute. She will begin her appointment on May 15.
2/26/2026
Karen Thole, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan, has been named the inaugural director of Penn State’s new National Security Institute, effective May 15. Thole previously served at Penn State as distinguished professor of mechanical engineering, department head of mechanical engineering, and director of the Engineering Ambassador Network.
2/23/2026
Sachin Gore, director of undergraduate studies and assistant teaching professor of mechanical engineering, recently led an embedded Experiential Digital Global Engagement (EDGE) project with engineering students and faculty at both Penn State and Leibniz Universität Hannover in Germany.
2/17/2026
The Penn State College of Engineering has welcomed nine new faculty members across multiple departments, including several former postdoctoral scholars who have transitioned into faculty roles. These appointments strengthen the college’s research and teaching mission while reinforcing its commitment to investing in emerging talent.
2/9/2026
The Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE) has recognized eight Penn State researchers, including six from the College of Engineering, for outstanding contributions to energy and environmental research, scholarship and mentorship. Selected through nominations from across the Penn State community, the awardees are honored for their collaborative, interdisciplinary work and their commitment to mentoring students and colleagues.
1/28/2026
A team of researchers at Penn State including Joseph Najem, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, Dor Tillinger, doctoral candidate of mechanical engineering and Wonbae Lee, doctoral candidate of engineering science and mechanics, used a state-of-the-art fabrication method to layer multiple types of hydrogels in a specific pattern that mimics the ionic processes electric eels use to generate electrical bursts. Their approach produces power sources with higher power densities than other hydrogel-based designs, while remaining flexible, support-free, environmentally stable and biologically compatible.
1/27/2026
Fifteen faculty members, including six from the College of Engineering, have joined the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE), reflecting the institute’s growing interdisciplinary reach. Together, they bring expertise that connects energy systems, environmental processes and human dimensions, opening new pathways for collaboration and shared research efforts.
1/21/2026
Amanda Sargen, a fourth-year Schreyer Honors College Scholar majoring in mechanical engineering, is one of four Scholars who has received a student award for the 2025-26 school year. These Scholars are leaders who are serving their communities and making an impact.
12/12/2025
A team at Penn State has now developed a high-speed platform capable of producing synthetic versions of brochosomes at a rate exceeding 100,000 per second, a technological achievement that could lead to next-generation camouflage, sensors and other advancements for humans.
12/12/2025
The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences’ (ICDS) Mid-Scale Seed Grant Program has awarded over $540,000 in total to 24 Penn State faculty members across eight teams representing six colleges and three campuses — University Park, Behrend and Hershey — that will contribute to one or more of the institute’s research hubs or affiliated centers. Thirteen College of Engineering faculty members are involved in a total of six of the eight projects.
12/7/2025
Six materials researchers at Penn State, including three from the College of Engineering, have received the 2025 Rustum and Della Roy Innovation in Materials Research Award, recognizing a wide range of research with societal impact. The award is presented by the Materials Research Institute (MRI) for recent interdisciplinary materials research at Penn State that yields innovative and unexpected results.
12/5/2025
The Penn State Learning Factory will host its biannual end-of-semester showcase for engineering students to present their cornerstone and capstone design projects. The in-person showcase will take place from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, at the Bryce Jordan Center, while a virtual showcase will take place on Friday, Dec. 12 through Friday, Dec. 19. Both versions of the event are free and open to the public.
12/3/2025
Gary Neal, the director of Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects and assistant teaching professor of mechanical engineering, has been named the 2025 SAE International AutoDrive Advisor of the Year for his exceptional leadership and mentorship within the AutoDrive Challenge II. The recognition highlights his role in guiding mechanical engineering design and capstone projects and supporting multidisciplinary student teams in autonomous vehicle development.
11/21/2025
Catherine Berdanier, associate professor at Pennsylvania State University, has been named the 2025 Sloan Faculty Mentor of the Year by the Southern Regional Education Board. She will be honored at the annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring in Atlanta on Nov. 1 for her outstanding support of graduate scholars.
11/20/2025
The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) has awarded 20 fellowships to University faculty, including seven to College of Engineering faculty, through its Faculty Upskilling Fellowships in artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum sciences program. The program seeks to provide faculty members with the opportunity to learn new skills and to focus on professional development.
11/17/2025
America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing have awarded a team led by Guha Manogharan, associate professor of mechanical engineering and co-director of the Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition at Penn State, $1.5 million to leverage the digital nature of additive manufacturing in traditional casting of metal components for machinery and vehicles.
11/12/2025
Penn State will celebrate its eleventh GivingTuesday on Dec. 2 — and the College of Engineering invites alumni and friends to be a part of the event by making a gift to support engineering student success.
11/5/2025
Despite lithium-ion (Li) batteries’ role as one of the most widely used forms of energy storage, they struggle to operate at full power in low temperatures and sometimes even explode at high temperatures. Researchers at Penn State, however, have proposed a design that could hold the key to effective and stable power storage in a variety of climates that published in Joule.
10/20/2025
Brennan Manns has been named the Joint Services Student Marshal for the Penn State College of Engineering fall 2025 commencement. A mechanical engineering major and Army ROTC cadet, Manns is being recognized for his academic excellence, leadership, and service to the University community.
10/17/2025
Five years ago, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation established the A. James Clark Scholars Program, a comprehensive scholarship and curricular support program for exceptional Penn State engineering undergraduates who demonstrate financial need. Now, with an additional $11 million investment, the Clark Foundation renewed its support for the program, ensuring that 10 new undergraduate engineering majors at Penn State will receive full tuition, fees, room and board, and curricular enrichment support each year in perpetuity.
10/15/2025
A team of researchers at Penn State led by Tamy Guimarães, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, recently received a three-year, $710,741 U.S. National Science Foundation grant to investigate why and how momentum and heat are transported differently through turbulent flows of air and water. Guimarães recently discussed the goals of the project and the potential impact of the knowledge the team hopes to gain from this work.
10/15/2025
The Penn State Schreyer Honors College has welcomed Wendy Hanna-Rose, Mary High and Zoubeida Ounaies as its third cohort of faculty fellows.
10/13/2025
Reid A. Berdanier, associate professor at The Pennsylvania State University, has been named a 2026 Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in recognition of his outstanding contributions to aerospace research and technology. He will be officially inducted during the AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 in Orlando this January.
10/7/2025
Penn State has been selected by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to lead its climate network. Named Prepare PA, the program aims to equip Pennsylvanians with the knowledge, tools and resources they need to adapt, respond and thrive in the face of a changing climate and environmental uncertainty. Prepare PA will be guided by the Penn State Climate Consortium in collaboration with partners from across the state
9/29/2025
The latest episode of Invent Penn State’s "Dare to Disrupt" podcast features Robert Chisena, co-founder and CTO of Amplitude Vascular Systems (AVS), a medical device company focused on safely and effectively treating severely calcified arterial disease.
9/22/2025
Between February and August 2025, the Penn State College of Engineering welcomed 12 new faculty members across various departments, including tenure-line, professional track, and administrative roles. This expansion supports the college’s strategic commitment to academic and research excellence.
9/15/2025
The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has selected eight research teams that span 12 departments across six colleges to receive 2025-26 seed grant funding. Three of the eight teams are led by College of Engineering faculty, and an additional three teams have College of Engineering collaborators.
9/11/2025
Amelia Espada and Carolina Diaz-Matos, two third-year mechanical engineering undergraduate students and Clark Scholars, spent their summer abroad through an internship based in Taiwan. The students’ experience was supported through a scholarship from the Clark Scholars Foundation and a stipend from the Engineering Entrepreneurship (E-SHIP) program at Penn State.
9/5/2025
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded Penn State $1.6 million in funding for additive manufacturing research with Guha Manogharan, associate professor of mechanical engineering and co-director of the Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D) serving as principal investigator. Manogharan will conduct research through a subcontract with Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.
9/2/2025
Mary Frecker, head of Penn State’s Mechanical Engineering Department, was honored with the ASME Dedicated Service Award at the 2025 IDETC conference for her long-term, impactful service to the society, recognized uniquely by two ASME divisions. Her work spans mechanical and biomedical engineering, focusing on compliant mechanisms, smart materials and biomedical device design.
8/22/2025
The Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team (AVT) took home multiple wins, including fourth place overall, in its fourth year of the AutoDrive Challenge II, which took place June 1-7 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sponsored by SAE International and General Motors, the competition tasks student teams with developing and testing a fully autonomous passenger vehicle on a controlled urban driving course.
8/20/2025
Penn State faculty members Brian Fronk and Jessica Menold have been elected Fellows of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), recognizing their significant contributions to engineering research, education, and leadership within the ASME community. This prestigious honor is awarded to fewer than 4% of ASME members.
8/20/2025
Jacqueline O’Connor, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, has been honored with the Aerospace Educator University Award from Women in Aerospace for her leadership in aerospace education and mentorship. She will receive the award at WIA’s 40th Annual Awards Ceremony in October 2025.
7/23/2025
The J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School at Penn State has awarded its first round of Fox Endowment scholarships to 18 graduate students in 15 graduate programs. Seven of the recipients were from the College of Engineering. More than 600 graduate students applied for a Fox scholarship.
7/2/2025
The Penn State Engineering Alumni Society (PSEAS) held its annual awards ceremony on June 20 at the State Theatre, building on its 53-year tradition of honoring excellence among engineering faculty, staff and alumni through the PSEAS awards. The award recipients were recognized in the categories of teaching, research, advising and service.
7/1/2025
Sarah Chekan, a master’s student in mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, was selected for the 2025-26 U.S. Fulbright Student Research/Study Program. She will conduct research within the Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering on integrating renewable energy into existing power grids.
6/27/2025
Samantha Splendido, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering at Penn State, has been named a 2025–26 ASME Graduate Teaching Fellow, receiving a $5,000 annual stipend to support her teaching assistantship and development as an engineering educator. The fellowship recognizes her commitment to innovative instruction and aims to encourage future faculty careers in mechanical engineering.
6/24/2025
Five research teams from Penn State's College of Engineering have been awarded seed grants through the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s 2025 Seed Grant Program to pursue innovative projects in sustainable energy, materials, and infrastructure. These interdisciplinary efforts aim to advance technologies such as CO? recycling, smart windows, and hydrogen storage, while positioning teams for future external funding.
6/23/2025
Sukwon Choi, associate professor of mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, has been elevated to IEEE Senior Member status — an honor held by only 10% of IEEE’s global membership in recognition of significant professional achievement. This distinction reflects Choi’s accomplishments and leadership in the engineering field.
6/20/2025
A research team from Penn State has broken a 165-year-old law of thermal radiation with unprecedented strength, setting the stage for more efficient energy harvesting, heat transfer and infrared sensing. Their results, currently available online, are slated to be published in Physical Review Letters on June 23.
6/6/2025
Maggie Nunn, a doctoral candidate studying mechanical engineering at Penn State, was recently awarded the Amelia Earhart Fellowship. The fellowship is annually awarded to up to 30 women pursuing doctorates in the fields of aerospace engineering and space sciences, with recipients each receiving $10,000.
