Forecasting the final frontier: How research prepares U.S. for the next solar storm
“At the University of Florida Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, our researchers are at the forefront of studying space weather and its impact on technology and national security. The recent powerful solar storm underscores the importance of their work to better understand and forecast these natural events.” — UF Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering…
Back-to-Back DOE Honors for UF MAE Students In Energy Innovation
The University of Florida Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is celebrating back-to-back national honors after two of its students received the U.S. Department of Energy’s Outstanding Achievement in Energy by an Industrial Assessment Center Student award in consecutive years. This national award recognizes students who have made significant contributions to energy efficiency through their work…
Musgrave Wins Elite Air Force Young Investigator Award to Embody Structures with Intelligence
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator Program (YIP) is a highly competitive and prestigious award granted to early-career scientists and engineers who show exceptional promise. It provides three years of research funding totaling $450,000. Beyond the monetary support, being selected is a significant professional honor. Patrick Musgrave, mechanical and aerospace engineer at…
Shaping the Future of Underwater Robots with NSF CAREER Award
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 at…
Enzymes as Nanoscale Machines: The Intersection of AI, Biochemistry, and Engineering
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 University…
Message From The Chair – Summer 2025
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 lead…
Fu & Dixon Work to Achieve Strategic Dominance
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 of…
Perseverance Beyond the Stars: Josh Ehrlich’s Journey in Aerospace
For Josh Ehrlich, a University of Florida Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering alumnus, a passion for space has fueled a career with some of the most prestigious names in aerospace, including NASA, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, and Blue Origin. His journey, from designing space systems to an eight-month Mars analog mission, proves that success isn’t about flawless grades…
Two Gator Engineers Honored with Attributes of a Gator Engineer Award
As the school year ends and engineering seniors bid a fond farewell, it would not be complete without the honor of bestowing superstar seniors with the Attributes of a Gator Engineer Award. These awards are presented to six undergraduate seniors who exemplify the highest ideals of the engineering community. The award categories are: Creativity, Leadership, Integrity,…
MAE Students Earn NSF Fellowships and Gator Engineering Awards
MAE Students Awarded Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships The University of Florida’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is proud to announce that two of its brightest students have been named recipients of the highly competitive 2025 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. This prestigious honor recognizes outstanding students who are pursuing advanced degrees in…