As part of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE) traces its roots to the earliest days of the University of Florida’s Gainesville campus.
Engineering’s Earliest Days
When the University of Florida established its Gainesville campus in 1909-1910, it consisted of four colleges, 27 faculty members, and 181 enrolled students. Engineering was one of those founding colleges, offering programs in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. With just five faculty members and 47 students, the college laid the foundation for what would become the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and one of the nation’s leading mechanical and aerospace engineering programs.
Photo Right: Benton Hall on the University of Florida Campus 1910’s
- Mechanical engineering has been part of the University of Florida since the founding of the College of Engineering in 1909-1910.
From Mechanical Foundations to Flight
As aviation captured the world’s imagination in the early twentieth century, the University of Florida began expanding its engineering offerings to reflect the rapidly evolving field.
Aeronautics first appeared in the Mechanical Engineering curriculum in 1928. Coincidentally, that same year, Robert Thompson arrived on campus as a freshman. After earning his mechanical engineering degree in 1932, Thompson joined the faculty and laboratory staff while pursuing graduate studies. In 1941, an aeronautical option was introduced within Mechanical Engineering, and just five years later Aeronautical Engineering became a standalone department offering a Bachelor of Science degree.
As founding head of the department, Thompson helped establish the program alongside fellow faculty members Ford Prescott and Sam Goethe, both graduates of UF’s mechanical engineering program.
Photo Left: Thompson, professor in Aeronautical Engineering, sits by recirculation wind tunnel on campus at the University of Florida.
- Aerospace engineering, which evolved from aeronautics coursework first introduced in 1928, became a standalone department in 1946.
Growth In A New Era
The years following World War II transformed both the university and the engineering profession. Enrollment surged as returning veterans used the GI Bill to pursue higher education. UF’s enrollment grew from approximately 1,500 students in 1945 to more than 10,000 by 1948. As the university expanded, so did engineering. New buildings, laboratories, and research programs supported growing student populations and emerging areas of technical expertise.
By the 1960s, engineering enrollment had reached approximately 2,300 total students. Significant investments in facilities included a dedicated Aerospace Engineering building, completed in 1967, and expanded space for Mechanical Engineering research and education. Faculty broadened their focus beyond traditional engineering boundaries. Areas such as biomechanics, advanced materials, fluid dynamics, structures, propulsion, and controls helped define the future direction of both disciplines.
Photo Right: William “Bill” H. Miller and students looking at diagrams at the University of Florida
A Shared Vision
Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, advances in science and technology increasingly blurred the lines between engineering disciplines. Mechanical and aerospace engineers often worked on many of the same challenges, from structures and materials to fluid mechanics, controls, and energy systems. Recognizing these shared strengths, the Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering programs united in 2002 to form the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. Led by founding chair Wei Shyy, the merged department brought together nearly 50 faculty members and hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students under a common vision.
MAE Today
Today, MAE remains one of the largest and most vibrant academic departments at the University of Florida. While technologies have evolved dramatically over the past century, the department’s mission remains rooted in the same pursuit that defined its earliest years: understanding motion, energy, and design to improve the world around us.