Fall 2020
While most instruction remains virtual, essential workers and researchers on campus are reminded of safety precautions with numerous signs like this one outside Engineering Hall. Steve Zylius / UCI
Chair's Message
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is fully engaged in fall quarter activities that include both teaching and research under the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that the vast majority of our teaching takes place remotely with very few, yet important exceptions.

The department faculty are finding creative ways to keep students engaged by means of synchronous and asynchronous delivery of learning material to students that may be located across vastly different time zones. The few exceptions I mentioned above are some selected senior capstone design courses, for which the department, school and campus have approved a handful of projects to have in-person sessions, and the research activity of some of our graduate students, all under carefully controlled pandemic guidelines.

Both our faculty and students continue to conduct important research and gain scholarly recognition by receiving awards and fellowships as highlighted in this newsletter.

Best regards,
Roger H. Rangel
Professor and Chair
INNOVATION
UCI’S ADVANCED POWER AND ENERGY PROGRAM TO DIRECT DOE GREEN STEEL EFFORT

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded UC Irvine’s Advanced Power and Energy Program $5.7 million to lead an effort to develop novel manufacturing processes for producing green steel – steel manufactured without greenhouse gas emissions. 
NEWS
KASSAS TO LEAD US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CENTER FOCUSED ON SECURING SAFETY OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE NAVIGATION

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a nearly $2 million grant to a national research consortium that includes UC Irvine to establish a new Tier 1 University Transportation Center.
RESEARCH
FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY PROVIDES KEY TO GRAIN BOUNDARY UNDERSTANDING

Among the many tools available to scientists developing new materials is a process called colloidal self-assembly, in which particles suspended in liquid spontaneously assemble themselves into well-ordered structures without outside interference.
ACCOLADE
WON WINS ASME WOMEN IN ENGINEERING AWARD

Assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, has won the 2020 Women in Engineering Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division.

HIGHLIGHT
NASA AWARDS FELLOWSHIPS TO TWO ENGINEERING GRADUATE STUDENTS

Two mechanical and aerospace engineering graduate students, Branden Butler and Cody Gonzalez, have received NASA fellowships in support of their research. 
SHOUTOUT
GRADUATE STUDENT WINS ASME CONFERENCE BEST PAPER AWARD

Derosh George won this year’s Best Student Paper award at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ 2020 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems. 

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | (949) 824-5406 | Website