Chair's Message

Jeff Moehlis, Chair and Professor

Great things are in store for our Department. Please consider making a gift in support of the Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Design Projects and Labs endowment. Thank you for sharing our vision.

On behalf of our faculty and staff, welcome to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Santa Barbara!
 
We are a vibrant department which performs exciting multidisciplinary research, provides exceptional teaching, and values an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  We are also blessed to be located in one of the most beautiful places in the world!
 
Our department’s faculty has world-renowned strengths in six core research areas which thrive in a culture of collaboration and cross-pollination:
 
  • Bioengineering and Systems Biology
  • Computational Science and Engineering
  • Dynamical Systems, Control, and Robotics
  • Fluid and Thermal Sciences
  • Micro- and Nanotechnology
  • Solid Mechanics, Materials, and Structures
Our faculty shares a strong commitment to the education and professional growth of our undergraduate and graduate students, training them to become leaders at top universities, national laboratories, and cutting edge industries.  
 
Moreover, we recognize that diversity plays a critical role in enhancing the innovation and impact of our teaching and research.  We are committed to policies and actions that foster equitable opportunities and an inclusive community of scholars with different backgrounds, races, ethnicities, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, and religions.
 
My favorite definition of the word “engineer” is “one who practices ingenuity”.  As mechanical engineers, we practice ingenuity in many different and important ways, using our training in theoretical and mathematical analysis, computational approaches, experimental methods, and design techniques to invent and improve useful devices and solve practical, complex problems.  If this resonates with you, take a look at our website for more information about our research and education programs, and consider joining us!  Please let me know if you have any questions; my email address is moehlis@ucsb.edu.
 
With Best Regards,
 
Jeff Moehlis
Professor & Chair
 
P.S. We are deeply grateful for our generous alumni and donors, whose support continues to play a crucial role in securing our department’s excellence and furthering innovation in education and research.  Thank you!