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Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Jan 19, 2024

Faculty highlights

The latest awards and honors earned by faculty of the College. 

Illustration of caterpillar-like soft robot.

Jan 19, 2024

MAE postdoc wins first-place prize in annual research image contest

Shuang Wu, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), won a first-place prize in the graphics and data visualization category of NC State’s annual Envisioning Research contest. His illustration, “Caterpillar Inspired Soft Crawling Robot,” depicts a caterpillar-like soft robot that can move forward, backward and dip under narrow spaces. It was… 

Maya Clinton smiles while wearing red graduation cap and gown. She is standing next to Mr. and Mrs. Wuf, NC State University mascots.

Jan 19, 2024

Maya Clinton is the first Black woman to graduate from her program, but not the last

Clinton graduated from NC State in May 2023 with a dual degree from both universities in physics and mechanical engineering. During her time at NC State, she was an engineering ambassador and did undergraduate research. 

Black-and-white video still shows a ringlike object in a square space that has one gap for an entrance. A bright white line shows the path that the object has taken in tracing the contours of the space.

Jan 9, 2024

New soft robots roll like tires, spin like tops and orbit like moons

The device, which operates without human or computer control, holds promise for developing technologies that can be used to navigate unknown environments. 

Caleby Jolly dressed in a red short-sleeved shirt and khaki pants, flashes the Wolfpack sign while standing on catwalk at Talley Student Union.

Dec 19, 2023

ME grad is ready to make the world a greener place

Unlike so many college students, Caleb Jolley, mechanical engineering ‘23, always knew he wanted to go into engineering. He just wasn’t quite sure what that looked like. 

illustration shows two pieces of metal foam being welded together using an induction welder. Several inches away from the site of the weld (which is white hot), the metal foam is cool enough to touch with a bare hand.

Dec 15, 2023

Researchers find way to weld metal foam without melting its bubbles

Traditional welding impairs the qualities that make metal foams desirable. Now researchers have found a solution. 

NASA's Artemis 1 rocket begins its launch.

Nov 28, 2023

Energy-X awarded NASA grant for carbon capture in space systems

Energy eXploration Laboratory (Energy-X) in collaboration with its industry partner was awarded a NASA grant to develop a carbon removal system for next-generation space vehicles.  

Aerial view of the College of Engineering and the Oval.

Nov 21, 2023

Private support leads to public benefits

A distinguished professorship is helping Yong Zhu create electronic devices using nanomaterials that can monitor people’s — and even plants’ — health. That is just the tip of the iceberg, though, when it comes to how this funding furthers his work at NC State. 

NC State ROTC cadet Rileigh Sevigny attended Project Tuskegee 2.0 in Abilene Texas this summer, and learned about B-1 bombers.

Nov 16, 2023

Engineering students, ROTC cadets learn new skills at summer programs

This past summer, several cadets from ROTC Detachment 595 at NC State got a chance to participate in programs across the country, bringing back new knowledge and skills that will help them in their post college military careers.