The Terrapin Rocket Team took a top spot at the 2023 Spaceport America Cup rocket competition by securing a strong second-place finish in the 10K-foot Student Researched and Designed Solid Motor category. In addition, the team finished fifth overall in the competition.

The team built onto their 2022 competition rocket design to refine their 2023 rocket, ‘Karkinos,’ named for the giant crab of Greek mythology, and a nod to Maryland’s iconic blue crab.
Harry Dankowicz, a professor of mechanical science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will become the new chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering effective January 1, 2024. Dankowicz conducts research on dynamical systems and control and is a recipient of a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the National Science Foundation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi learned more about a UMD-led project aimed at modernizing aquaculture during his state visit to the U.S. in late June. Modi visited the National Science Foundation, where students including UMD mechanical engineering doctoral student Kaustubh Joshi briefed him on a range of innovative projects with the potential to improve quality of life around the globe.
Knowing the best ideas result from engineers working together across disciplines, the Center for Risk and Reliability (CRR) works to foster cross-disciplinary interactions and innovation. CRR's new space provides students, faculty, and other collaborators the opportunity to come together, exchange ideas, and work collaboratively on interdisciplinary projects.
On Monday, July 24, the E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory hosted Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-MD) and the Council for Innovation Promotion for a discussion on ways Prince George’s County can grow as an innovation hub. In this photo, UMD student and entrepreneur Anaum Khan (at far right) shares her perspective with Ivey, UMD Chief Innovation Officer and Associate Vice President for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development Dean Chang, and engineers, venture capitalists, and intellectual property experts.
Maryland Engineering in the News