News | Department of Mechanical Engineering

UCSB Professor elected as Distinguished Fellow of the International Engineering and Technology Institute (IETI)

Friday, December 12, 2025

Linda Petzold is among the 70 scholars elected for their global influence.

Turning Strain into Strength: A Doctoral Student’s Unique Journey (Copy)

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Shantal Adajian grew up amid war, scarcity, and uncertainty. Now she is pursuing a PhD in mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara.

UCSB Researchers Invent Displays that Let You Feel What You See

Monday, November 3, 2025

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have invented a display technology for on-screen graphics that are both visible and haptic, meaning that they can be felt via touch. The screens are patterned with tiny pixels that expand outward yielding bumps when illuminated, enabling the display of dynamic graphical animations that can be seen with the eyes and felt with the hand. This technology could one day enable high-definition visual-haptic touch screens for automobiles, mobile computing, or intelligent architectural walls.

Beth Pruitt Receives National Award for Leadership in Bioengineering

Thursday, October 30, 2025

Named in memory of her colleague, the prestigious honor highlights Pruitt’s lifelong commitment to bioengineering research, education, and service.

2025 Grad Slam Winners

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Four students compete in the annual ME Grad Slam competition.

2025 Department of Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

The 2025 Department of Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Venkat Rapaka.

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(Pictured left to right) Sukhan Kang, Maryam Majedi, and Ousmane Kodio received awards in support of their research projects

Supporting New Ideas in Innovation, Design, and Ethics

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Three junior faculty receive campus awards supporting projects that expand how innovation is measured, technologies are designed, and ethics are taught.

Three UCSB Teams Receive IEE Seed Funding for Energy Efficiency Research

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Researchers will work toward improving efficiency in electric motors, quantum computing, and large language models with IEE support.

NSF Funds Research to Advance Understanding of Fragility and Resilience in Complex Networks

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Bassam Bamieh seeks to model the dynamics of small disruptions that can trigger big failures in complex systems.

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Photo Credit: iStock / rightdx
Radiographic image of breast cancer tumor cells in the mammary ducts.

Novel membrane gel from UCSB offers new tool for breast cancer research

Thursday, October 2, 2025

Researchers created an algae-based gel for studying mammary epithelial cells, which form milk-producing ducts and glands in healthy breast tissue and can transform into cancer cells.