MAE alum Tracy Gill has vital role in NASA Artemis missions
When NASA establishes the first ever long-term human presence on the Moon, and eventually uses that base as a springboard to Mars, this seminal achievement will undoubtedly go down as one of the most significant events in the history of our species. And humanity’s upcoming return to the magnificent desolation, as Buzz Aldrin described the barren…
Gator Motorsports Wins Third Place Overall at FSAE Michigan
UF’s Formula SAE team zoomed to the second best result in its 31-year history at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Out of 100 teams representing universities from six countries, Gator Motorsports finished third place overall. The team’s only higher finish was second place in 2015. For FSAE competitions, students spend a year designing and…
Gator Robotics Hosts “Scuffle in the Swamp” Battlebots Tournament
The atrium of the Herbert Wertheim Laboratory for Engineering Excellence was transformed into a modern Colosseum on April 9, when mechanical gladiators from all over the state descended on UF for the Scuffle in the Swamp. The first open battlebots event ever to take place at UF, the tournament was hosted by Gator Robotics, a student…
Welcome Dr. Umesh Persad to MAE
Dr. Umesh Persad is coming from the Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship Unit at the University of Trinidad and Tobago where he was an Associate Professor of Engineering Design, Head of Department, and leader of the Design and Innovation research group. Dr. Persad brings multidisciplinary design thinking to bear on complex problems with interests in Engineering…
Professor Matthew Hale Earns Two Government-Funded Awards for Research
While most of us were spending our quarantine time picking up new hobbies or exploring the hidden depths of Netflix, Professor Matthew Hale was writing proposals that would eventually earn him both a Young Investigator Program (YIP) award and a Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) grant this year. The YIP will be for $510,000 over…
MAE Welcomes Dr. Petersen
The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department welcomes Dr. Alicia Petersen! Dr. Alicia Petersen is coming from the Space Vehicles Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory, where she has been a Space Physics Research Fellow for the National Research Council. Through data analysis, instrumentation and modeling, Dr. Petersen researches the kinetic physics, magnetism and dynamics at…
Welcome Dr. Petersen to MAE
The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department welcomes Dr. Christopher Petersen! Dr. Christopher “Chrispy” Petersen is excited to join the University of Florida from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV) and the United States Space Force (USSF). His research looks at four pillars: 1) exploring and exploiting spacecraft dynamics, 2) advanced guidance, navigation, control…
Dr. Shi Joins the MAE Gators
The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department welcomes Dr. Jingjing Shi! Dr. Jingjing Shi’s research focuses on understanding energy transport and conversion to solve thermal challenges in different systems, with an emphasis on wide and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor devices for future power and radio-frequency applications. Her work utilizes multiscale modeling and experimental methods to understand effects of…
MAE Welcomes Dr. Allen Back into the Swamp
The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department welcomes Dr. Jessica Allen to AI Biomechanics. Dr. Allen’s research focuses on identifying biomechanical targets that can guide interventional decisions in rehabilitation and device design for individuals with ambulatory impairments. This work leverages musculoskeletal modeling and machine learning techniques to identify deficits in lower-extremity biomechanics and to predict how different…
MAE Welcomes Dr. Costello to AI Biomechanics
The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department welcomes Dr. Kerry Costello to AI Biomechanics. Dr. Costello’s research focuses on understanding the role of movement biomechanics and physical activity in musculoskeletal health, with an emphasis on knee osteoarthritis. This work utilizes motion capture, wearable sensors and machine learning to examine how time-varying, multidimensional joint loads experienced during human…