News | Department of Mechanical Engineering

Roller Camera Cross-campus collaboration gives student the means to pursue his dreams of being an independent filmmaker

Thursday, May 23, 2019

The D'Vonte Johnson Rally Rig is a device that will allow the client, D’vonte Johnson, to film from his wheelchair, despite having cerebral palsy.

Dedication to the Field Mathematics Society Honors the Service and Achievements of Network Engineering Professor

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

In recognition of his exemplary research and outstanding service to the community, UC Santa Barbara Professor Francesco Bullo has joined the 2019 class of fellows of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM).

Graduate Student Nicholas Naclerio receives 2019 NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship & NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Nicholas Naclerio, working under the supervision of Professor Elliot Hawkes, has been awarded both the 2019 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship, and has accepted the NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship.

artist rendition of atomic particles colliding

A Research Hat-Trick Professor Bolin Liao Receives Third Early-Career Award since September

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

To solve some of the world’s top energy needs, Bolin Liao is working at the front line of efforts to better understand the behaviors and interactions of the most fundamental energy carriers in materials, such as electrons, phonons and photons.

Cover of Science Robotics with an image of a robot on the ground

A Top Ten Robot Hawkes' Soft, Growing Robot Among Science Robotics' Top Robotics Technologies

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

When you think of robots, it’s likely the image that pops into your head is one of a rigid, perhaps humanoid metallic machine with electro-mechanical actuators and calculated movements. Which is all the more reason why, when UC Santa Barbara mechanical engineering assistant professor Elliot Hawkes’ pliable, pneumatic-powered soft robot came along, it was considered so innovative. And it’s now been named one of Science Robotics’ “Ten robotics technologies of the year.”

Person seated in front of microscop and a comptuer

'Tremendous Contributions' Professor Otger Campas receives New Investigator Award

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

For his “tremendous contributions to our understanding of the mechanics of tissue and organ formation,” the Society for Developmental Biology (SDB) has honored Campàs with the 2019 Elizabeth D. Hay New Investigator Award.

Professor Irene Beyerlein named the Mehrabian Interdisciplinary Professor in the College of Engineering

Thursday, February 14, 2019

The Mechanical Engineering Department is pleased to announce a new professorship, the Mehrabian Interdisciplinary Endowed Chair. This Chaired Professorship was established by Robert and Victoria Mehrabian, longtime friends and benefactors of the UCSB College of Engineering, to support the scholarly activities of a faculty member jointly appointed between the Materials and Mechanical Engineering departments.

UCSB Experiment Included in First 8k Video in Space

Friday, November 2, 2018

UCSB’s experiment, from the Luzzatto-Fegiz Laboratory, has been included in the first 8k video filmed in space, which showcases the broad range of research aboard the ISS. The experiment appears around the 1:30 mark. Below you can find a video and the full article from NASA or check out the NASA website: https://www.nasa.gov/8k-science.

Professor Paolo Luzzatto-Fegiz develops ways to improve wind farm productivity

Monday, October 8, 2018

You’ve probably seen them, perhaps on long roadtrips: wind turbines with enormous, hypnotic rolling blades, harnessing the clean power of wind for conversion into electric energy. What you may not know is that for the explosion in the number of wind turbines in use as we embrace cleaner sources of energy, these wind farms are quite possibly not as productive as they could be.

5th Annual Southern California Micro and Nanofluidics Symposium was held on Friday August 24th at the Los Angeles Arboretum

Thursday, October 4, 2018

The 5th annual Southern California Micro and Nanofluidics Symposium was held on Friday, August 24th, 2018 at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. This year’s symposium, generously sponsored by Amgen and UCLA California NanoSystems Institute, brought together students and faculty from UC campuses to share research ideas and progress, seek opportunities for collaboration, and learn more about recent developments in the field of micro- and nano-fluidics.