Mechanical Engineering News

Search All News:


Filter News:

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.

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.

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.

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.

Four engineers recognized with NSF early career awards

3/6/2023

Four 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.

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.

Four engineering faculty named fellows for STEM leadership program

9/26/2022

Four Penn State College of Engineering faculty members were selected as part of the 2022-23 cohort of Drexel University’s Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science (ELATES) program. The one-year, part-time leadership program provides training and development for women faculty and administrators.

Mechanical engineer to lead floatplane optimization project in the Amazon

9/23/2022

The 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund awarded Tamy Guimarães, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, a yearlong $34,000 grant to optimize amphibious aircraft for operations in the Amazon Rainforest. The project, in partnership with Brazilian institutes Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and Centro Universitário SENAI CIMATEC, received roughly $125,000 in total funding.

Penn State shares $25M DOE grant to study climate change impacts and adaptation

9/19/2022

Penn State was named a collaborating institution in a $66 million U.S. Department of Energy Urban Integrated Field Program designed to study the impacts of climate change on American cities. Bruce Logan, Evan Pugh University Professor and Kappe Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is one of 21 Penn State faculty members working on the grant.

Media mention: Researchers engineer novel material capable of ‘thinking’

9/16/2022

A project led by Ryan Harne, James F. Will Career Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, was recently featured by multiple media outlets, including The Independent, Interesting Engineering and New Scientist.

Designed to adapt: Living materials are the future of sustainable building

9/13/2022

Working together across disciplines, researchers from Penn State and the University of Freiburg are applying materials that adapt, respond to the environment, self-power and regenerate to meet the challenges of adaptive architecture.

Penn State ranks 31st among national public universities in U.S. News ranking

9/12/2022

Penn State ranked 22 out of 212 schools in "Best Engineering Programs" at schools whose highest degree is a doctorate. The University also ranked well in a number of engineering specialties.

Students engineer solutions to airport aggravations

8/29/2022

Students taking a leadership course in Penn State’s School of Engineering Design Technology, and Professional Programs placed in the Airport Cooperative Research Program, a national engineering competition that aims to solve problems and inconveniences common to airports.

New granular hydrogel bioink could expand possibilities for tissue bioprinting

8/24/2022

Penn State researchers have developed a novel nanoengineered granular hydrogel bioink that could be used to to develop biomaterials that can be three-dimensionally (3D) printed as complex organ shapes, capable of hosting cells and forming tissues.

Researchers engineer novel material capable of ‘thinking’

8/24/2022

A Penn State-led research team has created the first example of a soft, polymer material that acts like a brain, simultaneously sensing, thinking and acting upon mechanical stress without requiring additional circuits to process these signals.

Kathryn Jablokow receives National Science Foundation Director’s Award

8/22/2022

Kathryn Jablokow, professor of engineering design and mechanical engineering, recently received a National Science Foundation Director’s Award as part of the team that created the Engineering Research Initiation program.

Mechanical engineering student receives Chapel Executive Internship funding

8/9/2022

Benjamin Burlovic, a fourth-year Penn State Schreyer Scholar majoring in mechanical engineering and economics, completed an internship with consulting firm Deloitte this summer using Chapel Executive Internship funding.

Penn State engineering ranks highly in Academic Ranking of World University Subjects

7/28/2022

Penn State ranks in the top 50 in 16 subject area rankings — two of which are from the College of Engineering — and in the top 100 in the world in an additional 14 subjects — including three related to the College of Engineering — according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

Mechanical engineer selected for distinguished nuclear energy program

7/25/2022

Amrita Basak, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, earned a five-year, $625,000 Department of Energy (DOE) 2022 Distinguished Early Career Program award. She will use the grant to develop advanced manufacturing processes for metal additive manufacturing (AM) and enable more rapid implementation of AM techniques.

Penn State students earn multiple wins in international AutoDrive competition

7/22/2022

The Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team finished the first leg of the four-year AutoDrive Challenge II, taking home seven top-three recognitions for their preliminary design and simulation demonstration of an autonomous vehicle. The competition took place June 6-10 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Thermally regenerative battery produces ample energy using low-grade waste heat

7/11/2022

Thermally regenerative ammonia batteries can produce electricity on demand from low-grade waste heat. A new process for creating these batteries improves their stability and affordability and may help address the country’s growing grid-scale energy storage problem, according to Penn State researchers.

Five engineering graduate students awarded 2022 NASA Space Grant Fellowships

6/30/2022

Five College of Engineering graduate students have received 2022 NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant awards and been named graduate fellows.

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

6/30/2022

Penn State announced academic promotions for non-tenure-line faculty members at the University. The promotions will take effect on July 1. The below lists are for non-tenure-line faculty promotions in engineering.

Penn State World Campus engineering students explore research at University Park

6/28/2022

Penn State students in the online Master of Engineering Additive Manufacturing and Design program at World Campus visited University Park from May 16-20, as a component of the three-credit core course, ME 566: Metal Additive Manufacturing Lab.

Winners announced for inaugural Advanced Instrumentation, Diagnostics and Controls for Applications in Turbomachinery conference

6/10/2022

The first international conference on Advanced Instrument, Diagnostics and Controls for Applications in Turbomachinery, held May 22-24 at Penn State, has announced its student winners for technical oral and poster presentations.

Engineer named Materials Research Institute’s associate, acting director

6/7/2022

Zoubeida Ounaies, professor of mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, was chosen as associate and acting director of Penn State's Materials Research Institute.

Professor receives professional society’s heat transfer award

6/7/2022

Karen A. Thole, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering, was selected to receive the 2022 American Society of Mechanical Engineers Heat Transfer Memorial Award.

College of Engineering recognizes early career alumni

6/3/2022

The Penn State College of Engineering will recognize 11 early career alumni for their achievements and demonstrated commitment to their professions, communities and Penn State at a ceremony on June 17 at University Park.

Faculty featured on podcast discusses impact of biofilms on microplastics in water

6/2/2022

Margaret Byron, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, was featured on a recent episode of IEE's Growing Impact podcast to discuss her research on how biofilms may impact the transport of microplastics through water.

Mechanical engineering student receives Department of Defense fellowship

6/1/2022

Bryan Habas, first-year doctoral student in mechanical engineering at Penn State, has been selected for the National Defense Science and Engineering Fellowship Award.

Career development award to assess risk factors of aneurysm rupture

5/31/2022

Melissa Brindise, Penn State assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received a three-year, $231,000 career development award from the American Heart Association to study factors that may increase the risk of an aneurysm rupture.

Engineering students get real-world look at aerodynamics at Penn State center

5/27/2022

Penn State undergraduate engineering students in the technical elective course, ME 427: Aerodynamics for Mechanical Engineers, recently took a field trip to the Penn State Aviation Center to explore the aircrafts and converse with pilots, crew members and staff. Tom Gorman, manager of aircraft maintenance at the center, taught the students about the practical side of aircraft maintenance and shared some of the center’s recent aerodynamics.

Penn State announces academic promotions, effective July 1

5/19/2022

Penn State announced academic promotions for tenured and tenure-line faculty members at the University, including 33 in engineering. The promotions will take effect on July 1.

Upcycling plastic waste into graphite provides possible alternative to landfills

5/11/2022

Upcycling plastic waste into graphite, used in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, could positively contribute to the global economy, preserving resources, saving energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, according to Penn State researchers. Under a seed grant from the Materials Research Institute, the researchers will explore ways to take single-use plastic waste and turn it into high-quality graphite.

Head, body, eye coordination conserved across animal kingdom, researchers find

5/10/2022

Fruit flies synchronize the movements of their heads and bodies to stabilize their vision and fly effectively, according to Penn State researchers who subjected flies to virtual-reality flight simulators. The finding appears to hold true in primates and other animals, the researchers say, indicating that animals evolved to move their eyes and bodies independently to conserve energy and improve performance.

Assistant professor selected for international leadership development program

5/9/2022

Guha Manogharan, Emmert H. Bashore Faculty Development Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, was selected to join the 2022-23 Early Career Leadership Intern Program to Serve Engineering (ECLIPSE). Administered by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, this year’s international ECLIPSE class includes six early career engineers.

Engineering students get real-world look at aerodynamics at Penn State center

5/3/2022

Penn State undergraduate engineering students in the technical elective course, ME 427: Aerodynamics for Mechanical Engineers, recently took a field trip to the Penn State Aviation Center to explore the aircrafts and converse with pilots, crew members and staff.

Six Penn State engineering students receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

5/2/2022

The National Science Foundation has selected five current Penn State College of Engineering students as 2022 awardees for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program and one College of Engineering student for an honorable mention.

Five engineering students recognized with University-wide awards

4/21/2022

Penn State recently honored five Penn State engineering undergraduate students in recognition of their academic excellence, outstanding leadership and meritorious service. The University’s 2022 student award recipients exemplify best practices and achievements among students, reflecting the University's mission of teaching, research and service.

Materials Research Institute announces 2022 seed grant recipients

4/20/2022

The Penn State Materials Research Institute has announced the 2022 recipients of seed grants that will enable University faculty to establish new collaborations with partners outside their own units for the exploration of transformative ideas for high-impact materials science and engineering.

Three engineering students receive awards at the 2022 Graduate Exhibition

4/20/2022

Three engineering graduate students received awards for their research and scholarship in the 37th annual Penn State Graduate Exhibition.

2022 spring student marshal: Samantha Link

4/18/2022

Samantha Link was named the 2022 spring student marshal for mechanical engineering.

Engineers honored with American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics awards

4/8/2022

Ken Brentner, professor of aerospace engineering at Penn State, received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aeroacoustics Award, while Karen Thole, Penn State Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, received the AIAA Thermophysics Award.

College of Engineering adds 15 faculty members

3/30/2022

The Penn State College of Engineering has added 15 faculty members this semester, with 11 tenured or tenure-line members and four non-tenure-line members.

Eleven alumni to receive College of Engineering’s highest honor

3/30/2022

Eleven Penn State engineering graduates will be honored on April 4 at the College of Engineering’s Outstanding Engineering Alumni Awards ceremony at Hyatt Place State College. Charlie Blenko, an undergraduate student majoring in civil engineering, will serve as the event’s emcee.

From the ground up: Taking 3D printing technology to the next level

3/30/2022

Researchers at Penn State are at the leading edge of the field now known as additive manufacturing, working to advance the capabilities of 3D printing with a goal of addressing pressing problems in human health, housing and transportation, among other areas.

Penn State engineering rises in U.S. News & World Report graduate rankings

3/30/2022

In the 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Engineering Programs rankings released today (March 29), engineering at Penn State University Park ranked No. 32 overall, advancing one place from last year’s report, and No. 18 among public institutions. Seven engineering specialty disciplines offered by the College of Engineering also climbed in the rankings, and eight are now ranked in the top 20 nationally.

2022 Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award: Michele Beisler

3/25/2022

Michele Beisler, deputy program manager for the NASA Rocket Propulsion Test program office, has been named one of 11 recipients of the 2022 Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award by the Penn State College of Engineering.

Ilya Kovalenko joins Department of Mechanical Engineering

3/25/2022

Ilya Kovalenko joined Penn State as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and industrial and manufacturing engineering on Jan. 1. He heads the Control and Automation for Intelligent Systems Lab at Penn State.

Search All News:

Filter News:

News Archive