Julianna Abel Receives Prestigious Morse-Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education

We are proud to share that Professor Julianna M. Abel, associate professor in Mechanical Engineering and director of the Design of Active Materials and Structures Lab, has been awarded the 2025 Horace T. Morse – University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education.

This highly competitive honor recognizes faculty who have made significant and lasting contributions to the quality of undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota. Recipients are selected based on their innovative teaching, student mentorship, and impact on learning at both the departmental and university-wide levels.
 

Professor Julianna Abel with her award.

Professor Abel is known for her dynamic, hands-on teaching style and commitment to creating meaningful learning experiences. She teaches core courses in design and manufacturing, while also advancing research in smart materials and textile-based actuators—technologies with wide-ranging applications, from aerospace structures to medical devices.

In addition to her classroom teaching, she leads the Design of Active Materials and Structures Lab (DAMSL), where undergraduates play an active role in developing new smart material technologies. Her work bridges advanced mechanical design and student-centered education, making her a standout contributor to both research and teaching missions.