Research

The mechanical engineering faculty is very active in research, expending a million dollars a year in external research funding.

The department hosts the nationally famous Baseball Research Laboratory and Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory, as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts funded Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence.

The principal research areas, with associated faculty, are as follows:

• Composite materials (Chen, Sherwood)
• Smart materials/acoustics/controls (Niezrecki)
• Nanomanufacturing (Chen, Gorbatikh)
• MEMS & microsystems (Sun)
• Modal analysis (Avitabile)
• Aero/wind tunnel (Charmchi, Niemi)
• Microgravity (Charmchi)
• Fabric permeation (Charmchi)
• Baseball (Sherwood)
• Robotics (Parkin)
• Manufacturing (Parkin, Shina)
• Solar/alternative energy (Duffy)
• Bio-inspired materials (Gorbatikh)
• Thermal plasmas and coating (McKelliget, Charmchi)

Graduate Laboratories