CarnegieMellon
CarnegieMech T Message from
NADINE AUBRY Department Head
here are many measures that can be used to assess the quality of an academic department. In this issue of CarnegieMech,we shine a spotlight on one of the most important measures we use to gauge our success in the Department ofMechanical Engineering: the achievements of the nearly 500 students who are actively pursuing
degrees here.Our feature story (pages 3-5) and our “Student News” section (pages 6-9) showcase some of these students’ impressive research and academic results, their outreach to the community, their honors and awards, and their hopes for the future. I hope you will be inspired by these students’ ambitious and incredibly diverse
accomplishments.Whether they are working with leading organizations like NASA, traveling internationally to broaden their horizons,or performing hands-on research or charitable work, our students continue to exceed expectations. These outstanding students truly represent the success stories of tomorrow,with a range
of experiences that demonstrate the growing diversity of mechanical engineering—from nanotechnology and sustainable energy to mesh generation and
biomedicine.My only regret is that our newsletter format limits the number of individualMechE students that we can introduce to you—but I encourage you to meet these young engineers in person on your next visit to the CarnegieMellon campus. Not only is our student population growing in diversity,but it is also growing in size.
Over the past three years,we have seen steady increases in the number of students pursuing degrees inMechE—solid evidence that,no matter how mechanical engineering changes, it remains an attractive and exciting field for those with an interest in science, technology, and problem-solving.While this growth mostly comes from our graduate student population, which has doubled since 2005-06,our under- graduate population has remained high,with a graduating class of about 100 students each year. Elsewhere in this issue of CarnegieMech,
“I hope you will join us for the 2010 Bennett Conference on Friday,April 16,
in Scaife Hall. I’m confident that you will find it incredibly rewarding to meet our students and celebrate the continued success of theMechE family.
you will find ample evidence of the Department embracing change as we continue to attract new students,offering an excellent educational experience that will prepare young engineers for their chosen career path—regardless of the direction they take.Our “Faculty News” section,beginning on page 14,highlights new faculty members, innovative courses, and leading-edge research that are expanding our capabilities in exciting areas such as alternative energy,nanotechnology, robotics, and computational engineering. With our new course on combining technology leadership with business success (see page
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16),we are preparing currentMechE students to follow in the amazingly successful footsteps of Raj Kapoor, featured in our “Alumni News” section on pages 10-11.Did you know that the founder of the online photo bank Snapfish is a fellowMechE graduate? From his beginnings as a mechanical engineer to his emergence as an Internet pioneer and a venture capitalist,Raj certainly exemplifies the changing face of our discipline. While there are many ways to learn more about the changes inMechE, I believe the
yearly Bennett Conference (see page 6) is a fantastic opportunity to connect with the next generation of engineers and witness their accomplishments firsthand. If you are planning to attend the annual CarnegieMellon Spring Carnival, I hope you will join us for the 2010 Bennett Conference in Scaife Hall on Friday,April 16. I’m confident that you will find it incredibly rewarding to meet our students and celebrate the continued success of the MechE family.•
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