Category: Research Highlights

Patrick Musgrave, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Florida, has been awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation, one of the most prestigious honors given to early-career faculty in science and engineering. The award supports both groundbreaking research and educational outreach, and it includes federal funding for a five-year project aimed […]

Enzymes are nature’s tiny machines, responsible for everything from digesting food to breaking down environmental pollutants. But what if we could design custom-made enzymes to tackle real-world challenges—like neutralizing harmful chemicals or detecting diseases—more efficiently than ever before? Jing Pan Ph. D., a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the […]

As we welcome summer, I’m proud to reflect on another extraordinary season at MAE. This edition of our newsletter showcases the incredible breadth and depth of work happening across our department—from space biomanufacturing and award-winning research to student-driven innovation and alumni distinction. Each story speaks to the excellence that defines us. Our faculty continue to […]

Dr. Jie Fu (PI) has been awarded $1.3 million in funding from the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory for the project titled “Strategic Planning in Hierarchical Games: Achieving Rapid Dominance in the Uncertain World of Conflict (Shadow),” under Cooperative Agreement #W911NF-25-2-0045. Distinguished Professor Warren Dixon, chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University […]

MOOchanics LLC, a startup born from a University of Florida senior design team project, is making notable progress as it prepares for the Big Idea Gator Business Plan Competition. The company was recently selected as an inaugural member of the F-300 AgFoodTech Startup Accelerator, a pioneering agricultural development initiative aimed at strengthening Newberry’s agri-food tech […]

Douglas Spearot, Ph.D., the Newton C. Ebaugh Professor, has been recognized by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), the largest professional society for materials science and engineering. TMS has more than 10,000 members worldwide, and only nine professionals were selected this year for the Brimacombe Medal. The Brimacombe Medal is a mid-career award that […]

A new experiment that launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on November 4th, 2024, and returned on December 17th, 2024, explored how microbes can help produce useful materials like medicines and plastics in space. The experiment was part of a larger project to see how microbes perform in the low-gravity environment, and to determine […]

Enhancing Heat Dissipation in Mobility Technologies As electric vehicles and other advanced mobility technologies continue to evolve, one of the biggest challenges remains efficient heat dissipation. Youngsup Song, Ph.D., a researcher in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida, is working on innovative thermal interface materials to address this issue. […]

In the dynamic landscape of mechanical engineering, Professor Jingjing Shi stands out as a visionary dedicated to advancing energy transport and conversion. Her specialized focus on thermal management within semiconductor systems is not only revolutionizing electronic device performance but also contributing significantly to a sustainable and technologically advanced society. Professor Shi’s journey into mechanical engineering […]

NASA has selected a team of University of Florida aerospace engineers to pursue a groundbreaking $12 million mission aimed at improving the way we track changes in Earth’s structures, such as tectonic plates and oceans.