Welcoming New Faculty
We are very excited to welcome five new faculty to mechanical engineering as we begin a new academic year. Pictured from left to right, Dr. Xiaoxiao Zhao is an assistant professor with expertise in materials science and engineering. Dr. Ahmed Aboelezz is an assistant professor with expertise in flight mechanics and controls. Dr. Kewei Xu is an assistant professor with expertise in computational fluid dynamics. Dr. Christopher Mordaunt is a principal lecturer with expertise in combustion and thermofluids, and Mr. Camerin Seigars is a lecturer with expertise in mechanical testing and composites.
Advancing Graduate Education
Prof. Zhihe Jin has published his second textbook in support of graduate education in different fields of engineering. Engineering Analysis: Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, composed of four parts with over 450 pages, covers a wide range of topics with numerous example problems pertinent to advanced engineering analysis, especially in mechanical, aerospace, and civil engineering.
Boosting Clean Energy Workforce
Dr. Justin Lapp is leading a clean energy workforce training program at the University of Maine. The program is aimed at establishing graduate and undergraduate certificate programs in building science analysis and design with the goal of reaching 200 students and working professionals. Read More
Digital Twin Technology to Revolutionize Offshore Wind Turbine Installation
Celebrating Student Excellence
We are proud to announce that UMaine 2024 Co-Valedictorian is Lydia Gilmore, a graduating senior in mechanical engineering. She is joined by two of her peers, Sam Morton as the Outstanding Senior and Aaron Howell as the Hovey award recipient. We also celebrate the achievements of our graduating master’s and PhD students with Dariush Bodaghi (PhD) as the 2024 Outstanding Graduate Student in mechanical engineering. Pictured L-R (Lydia, Sam, Aaron, and Dariush). Read More
Senior Capstone Projects on Display
Many members of the Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board were on campus to judge the posters and presentations of the year-long capstone projects by nearly 100 seniors. Twenty teams showcased their projects ranging from Underwater Camera Drones to Two-Phase-Flow Wind Tunnel, and Rainwater Energy Harvesting.
Showcasing Research at UMaine Student Symposium
Nearly two dozen graduate and undergraduate students in mechanical engineering showcased their research endeavors at the recent annual UMaine Student Symposium. Read More
Offering a New Concentration in Offshore Wind Energy
Starting from the spring 2024 semester, our undergraduate students will have the opportunity to pursue a concentration in Offshore Wind Energy in addition to the one in Aerospace Engineering. The new approved concentration complements the existing graduate concentration in the same area and supports the continuing growth of our research and academic programs tied to floating offshore wind energy and the associated technologies. Students with interest in the new concentration are encouraged to contact Dr. Amrit Verma.
Understanding Behavior of Deforming Rocks
With support from the National Science Foundation, Prof. Senthil Vel is collaborating with colleagues in UMaine School of Earth and Climate Sciences and several international researchers to better understand and quantify the influence of tectonic plate movement on stress and flow laws in rocks. Read More
Extending Research in Wearable Robotics
Through a $432,000 grant from the National Institute on Aging of NIH, Dr. Babak Hejrati and his research team will continue their innovative research on wearable robotics for gait training of older adults. Read More
Decarbonizing Through Engineering
Through a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, Dr. Justin Lapp and his co-investigators will be conducting research aimed at Solar Decarbonization of Paraffin Dehydrogenation Through Particle Heat Carriers. The light olefin industry accounts for over $300B in annual worldwide sales and requires large amounts of process heat, currently provided by fossil fuel combustion. In this project, a method is investigated to replace those fossil fuels with concentrated solar energy. Solid ceramic particles, coated in catalyst, will be heated by focused sunlight to 900 Celsius or higher, then will be used to heat and catalyze a flow of paraffins for conversion to light olefins. The project team will design, fabricate, and test catalyst pellets. They will build and simulate a prototype proof-of-concept reactor. Read More
Empowering Engineering Students
In recognition of the importance of making college education more accessible to promising low-income students in Maine, NSF has awarded a $750,000 grant to Dr. Alex Friess and his co-investigators in support of a project for Building Bridges for Engineering Students. Read More
Transforming Engineering Education at UMaine
We celebrated the grand opening of the Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center on August 24th. In addition to housing the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ferland EEDC provides a state-of-the-art facility for transforming engineering education at UMaine. Read More
