Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois

Professor Mariana Kersh has been awarded a 2024 research seed grant from the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. The project will use quantitative MRI to study the relationship between tissue microstructure and composition and their biomechanics function. Researchers on the project will use a collagen missense mutation model (in which the amino acid building blocks of collagen proteins are arranged incorrectly), to understand the effects of human diseases that cause collagen dysfunction. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dWHB98tg Beckman Institute at Illinois

Researchers led by William P. King, the Ralph A. Andersen Endowed Chair in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Peter Collins, the Stanley Chair in Interdisciplinary Engineering at Iowa State, are developing new materials to protect military troops, equipment and facilities. The materials are stronger and lighter than conventional materials while providing more protection. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gG8Dzbh3 Iowa State University - College of Engineering

One didn’t have to look far this summer to see MechSE faculty and staff leading or participating in a multitude of STEM-based outreach programs for youth. MechSE’s Director of Undergraduate Programs Stephanie Ott-Monsivais played a large role in many summer camps, starting June 24 and concluding July 28. Combined, the camps reached more than 200 students. Beyond leading the department’s annual week-long “Exploring MechSE” camp, Ott-Monsivais helped guide activities for The Grainger College of Engineering’s “Exploring your Options,” “Discover Engineering” and the virtual “What it Takes” camp. Multiple faculty and staff from MechSE – including Professors Mickey Clemon, Siyi Xu, Varda Hagh, Elif Ertekin and Matt West, and cleanroom engineer Joe Maduzia – led hands-on research-based activities for these camps. https://lnkd.in/gCZQW4YE

The legacy of MechSE and Aero Professor Emeritus Craig Dutton was celebrated the week before last with a patio paver memorializing his mentorship and career at Illinois. No fewer than 32 of his former students, colleagues and friends coordinated to purchase the paver, which was installed on the Lu MEB's south patio. Prof. Dutton's former student Dr. Ken Smith was on campus to surprise him with the honor. Want to honor someone important in your life? Consider purchasing a paver! https://lnkd.in/gWCfD8km

Our undergrads are the best! NINE of our mechanical engineering graduates have been named Bronze Tablet honorees, of just 323 selected from across campus – and 294 were named to the University of Illinois Dean's List the previous academic year. Bronze Table honorees represent the top 3% of each college’s graduating class, and Dean's List eligibility is limited to the top 20% of a student’s college class or curriculum. The first Bronze Tablet, bearing 14 names, debuted 99 years ago, in 1925. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gZ8PA--U

MechSE Professor and Andersen Faculty Scholar Amy J. Wagoner Johnson has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Fellowship in the society recognizes exceptional engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession. Wagoner Johnson joins a distinguished group of engineering leaders who have made significant impacts in their fields. Wagoner Johnson ­– who is also a founding faculty member in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CI MED) and has served as the head of CI MED’s Biomedical and Translational Sciences Department since 2019 – was recognized for her “seminal contributions to biomechanics and biomaterials, particularly in bone regeneration, soft tissue mechanics, and coral restoration, as well as for her innovative teaching and impactful leadership in engineering and medicine.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gqbE2xp9 ASME (The American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Carle Illinois College of Medicine

MechSE Associate Professor Mariana Kersh has been selected for the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute's 2024-25 Emerging Research Leaders Academy (ERLA). Designed for mid-career faculty to achieve research success, the program provides vital leadership and team science training to pursue large, multi-PI grants, lead campus research initiatives, enhance their own research programs, and ultimately position Illinois for research excellence. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eGQ9gsjR

Three MechSE faculty are among the 16 Illinois researchers who were selected to become part of the inaugural cohort of Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago investigators. The 48-member group, which will focus on instrumented tissues, inflammation, and the functions of the immune system, also includes investigators from Northwestern University and University of Chicago. Professors Bumsoo Han, Taher Saif and Amy Wagoner Johnson all have projects funded by the initiative. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gvXVWqZs Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network

In addition to working with the medical industry, MechSE now finds itself in a world of new opportunities through collaborations with the Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CI MED), the world’s first engineering-based college of medicine. Learn more in the most recent edition of MechSE Magazine: https://lnkd.in/gfFx96Uj

The 2024 issue of MechSE Magazine is here, and it is BEAUTIFUL! If you didn't get one in the mail, pick up a copy outside the Graduate Programs Office in Lu MEB. You can also download it and see extra content here: https://lnkd.in/gfFx96Uj