The Latest From Mechanical Engineering
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is an active research hub at the forefront of developments in human health, the environment, robotics, manufacturing, energy, and more. Our faculty, researchers, and students work on everything from designing clean engines to curing cancer. Read about what ME is doing to change the world right here in Minnesota.
Congratulations to our 2026 Travel Award Winners!
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Anup Vaman Barve has been awarded the Adrian ME Graduate Student Travel Award, and Jenn Hoody has been awarded the Joachim and Yuko Heberlein Travel Grant Award.
UMN ME Postdoc Featured on Front Cover of Cold Facts, Cryogenic Society of America
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Dr. Lakshya Gangwar, a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Bio-Heat and Mass Transfer Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, has been featured on the front cover of the November 2025 issue of Cold Facts, the magazine of the Cryogenic Society of America.
Professor Rajamani Weighs in on Waymo's Debut in Winter Weather Testing
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With Waymo beginning early-stage testing of its autonomous vehicles in Minneapolis, MPR News spoke with University of Minnesota Professor Rajesh Rajamani, a mechanical engineering expert in autonomous vehicle systems. Rajamani provided insight into how technologies like lidar sensors and digital mapping allow self-driving cars to navigate when lane markings are obscured by snow—an issue common in Minnesota winters.
UMN PhD Candidate Honored with ASME Best Student Paper Award for Work on PFAS Detection
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University of Minnesota PhD Candidate in Mechanical Engineering Yingming Xu, together with co-author Dr. Peng Zhou and Advisor Professor Tianhong Cui, has received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Division Best Student Paper Award (one of the three awardees) in Memphis on Nov. 18, 2025.
U of M Mechanical Engineering Team Featured in Star Tribune for Wildfire Research
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A research team from the University of Minnesota’s Department of Mechanical Engineering was recently featured in the Star Tribune for its work developing autonomous drones to study wildfire smoke. The project aims to use smoke patterns to better understand and predict fire behavior—critical data that could one day assist in wildfire prevention and emergency response.
Five Faculty Have Been Named Endowed Chairs and Professors in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to recognize five faculty members who have been awarded endowed chairs and professorships. These positions, made possible through the generous support of our donors, provide long-term support for faculty leading innovative work in key areas of research, education, and service.
Lian Shen Elected as a 2025 Fellow of the American Physical Society
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Professor Lian Shen has been elected a 2025 Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). Election to the APS Fellowship is a prestigious recognition by one’s professional peers for outstanding contributions to physics. This year, eight people from five countries were elected by the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics as APS Fellows.
Rajamani named 2025 Nyquist Lecturer by ASME
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Rajesh Rajamani, Professor in Mechanical Engineering, was named the 2025 Nyquist Lecturer by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Rajamani will deliver a lecture titled “From Theory to Practice: Nonlinear Observers Transforming Next-Generation Mechatronic Systems,” on October 5, 2025. The talk will present recent results on nonlinear observers and their integrated use in modern mechatronic systems ranging from autonomous vehicles to wearable sensors.
University of Minnesota Hosts 26th International Symposium on Plasma Chemistry, Welcomes 373 Scientists from 28 Countries
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The University of Minnesota hosted the 26th International Symposium on Plasma Chemistry (ISPC26), the world’s leading biennial conference in plasma chemistry, bringing together 373 plasma scientists from 28 countries to Minneapolis from June 15–20, 2025. This marks the second time the symposium has been hosted in Minneapolis—exactly 30 years after ISPC12 was held here in 1995—and reflects the University’s continued leadership in plasma science and engineering.
ME Graduate Students Impress at 3MT Competition
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Mechanical Engineering hosted its sixth annual 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition on Thursday, September 25, 2025. This event challenges students to articulate their complex research projects in a compelling and accessible way, all within a tight, three-minute window.
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