The Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS) is the largest in the Swanson School, with more than 40 primary faculty whose expertise spans advanced manufacturing, energy and power systems, solid and fluid mechanics, smart materials, robotics, controls, acoustics, computational engineering, and nanotechnology.
Faculty are active researchers who bring current work directly into the classroom, and the department emphasizes critical thinking and hands-on problem solving at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Learn more about our faculty and their work through the spotlight series.
Congratulations to our Spring 2026 graduates!
Pitt Prototype Puts Potholes on Notice
Startup Silly Surfacing collaborates with Pitt’s IDEA Lab and the Innovation Works’ Robotics Factory to develop, prototype, and demonstrate a pothole-filling robot
Pitt ranks No. 24 among the nation’s public universities, says U.S. News & World Report
Engineering jumps 11 places to No. 46
Pitt’s G. Paolo Galdi Elected a Foreign Member of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic
Plugging In, Tuning Up, and Taking Third
Three years after converting its Formula SAE car to electric power, Panther Racing posted its best finish in team history
A “RARE” Opportunity
Tatsuya Sakurahara helps organize international PSAM conference in Pittsburgh, illuminating new research pathways for Pitt students in his RARE Lab
Swanson School of Engineering Launches “Leadership Conversations”
Rory A. Cooper opens speaker series with story of building HERL into a lasting research enterprise
Amin Salehi-Khojin Named Chair of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Pitt
Stronger Sensing, Smarter Energy Systems
Two Pitt professors and collaborators earn three 2026 R&D 100 Awards
Pitt’s Cyber Energy Center and Pitt Cyber to Host Their Second Transforming Cybersecurity Workshop
News
Pitt Prototype Puts Potholes on Notice
For Pittsburgh drivers, city officials, and repair crews, potholes are a seemingly endless source of frustration. For...
Pitt’s G. Paolo Galdi Elected a Foreign Member of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic
In an age of increasingly powerful computers, G. Paolo Galdi solves complex equations with pencil and paper. A...
Plugging In, Tuning Up, and Taking Third
Folk singer Bob Dylan famously took the stage at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, plugged in an electric guitar, and...
A “RARE” Opportunity
From July 19 – 24, Pittsburgh was in safe hands. More than 200 researchers from around the world dedicated to assessing...
Events
National Postdoc Appreciation Week - Dog Meetup
Start your morning with the best kind of therapy — dogs. Bring your furry friend (and poop bags!) or just show up for...
National Postdoc Appreciation Week - Friday Postdoc Town Hall
Whether you’re just starting your postdoctoral journey or continuing your journey, we invite you to join the UPPDA...
National Postdoc Appreciation Week - Friday Postdoc Meetup
Let's go bowling!
MEMS Department Seminar Series: Dr. Danielle Maddix Robinson
Host: Inanc Senocak Dr. Danielle Maddix Robinson (virtual), Principal Research Scientist, Siemens Physical AI Topic -...
MEMS Department Seminar Series: Prof. Sunčica Čanić
Host: Paolo Galdi Prof. Sunčica Čanić, Professor Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley Topic - Advances in...
MEMS Department Seminar Series: Dr. Vaibhav Yadav
Host: Tatsuya Sakurahara Dr. Vaibhav Yadav, Distinguished Staff Scientist, Idaho National Laboratory Topic - Can...