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.
Rahaf Bahajry Receives Student Presenter Award at the Electrostatics Conference
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce that Rahaf Bahajry, a Ph.D. student advised by Professor Chris Hogan, has received third place in the Student Presenter Award competition at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Electrostatics Society of America.
Peter Bruggeman Receives 2026 William Crookes Prize
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce that Professor Peter Bruggeman has received the 2026 William Crookes Prize at the Europhysics Conference on Atomic and Molecular Physics of Ionized Gases (ESCAMPIG).
Suo Yang Named to Inaugural Class of Chief of Naval Research Fellows
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce that Professor Suo Yang has been selected for the inaugural class of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Chief of Naval Research (CNR) Fellows Program. Yang is one of only twelve researchers chosen nationwide from more than 180 nominations submitted by approximately 70 academic institutions across the United States. Among the twelve fellows, Yang is the only thermofluid researcher, and the only one with research experience under ONR Code 35 Naval Air Warfare and Weapons.
Lakshya Gangwar Receives Inaugural Ernest G. Cravalho Award
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce that Dr. Lakshya Gangwar, a postdoctoral associate in the department and a Ph.D. alumnus, has received the inaugural Ernest G. Cravalho Award from the Society for Cryobiology. The award was presented at CRYO2026, the society’s annual meeting, held July 15–17 at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Peter Bruggeman and Jae Hyun Nam Receive Microscopy Today Innovation Award with Hummingbird Scientific
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce that Professor Peter Bruggeman and Dr. Jae Hyun Nam, together with Hummingbird Scientific, have received a Microscopy Today Innovation Award for the co-design of the Operando Plasma Transmission Electron Microscopy Sample Holder, an in-situ TEM platform that enables real-time, nanometer-scale imaging of materials as they react in atmospheric-pressure plasma. The award was formally presented at the Microscopy & Microanalysis 2026 meeting, held August 2–6 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Light on the Move: ME Researchers Create Microscopic Particles that Steer Light
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Researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering within the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering have developed a new class of microscopic particles that can swim through liquid and redirect light on command, combining mobility and sophisticated optical control in a single device.
Uwe Kortshagen and Suo Yang Receive Genesis Mission Award
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce that Professors Uwe Kortshagen and Suo Yang have received a U.S. Department of Energy Genesis Mission award for their project, “AI-driven rapid discovery of plasma deposition for novel materials for next-generation semiconductor devices.”
Suo Yang Named Georgia Tech 40 Under 40 Honoree
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce that Professor Suo Yang has been named to the 2026 Class of 40 Under 40 by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association.
Vikas Goud Jukanti Receives AITF Best Poster Award at the 12th International Conference on Boiling and Condensation Heat Transfer
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce that Vikas Goud Jukanti, a graduate student advised by Professor Vinod Srinivasan, has received the AITF Best Poster Award for AI and Machine Learning Applications in Boiling and Condensation Heat Transfer at the 12th International Conference on Boiling and Condensation Heat Transfer (ICBCHT-12), held at MIT, Cambridge, USA, June 14–17, 2026.
Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Awardees 2026–2027
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce the 2026–2027 recipients of the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF). These exceptional students are making groundbreaking advancements in their respective fields of research.
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