News

Doctoral student Hayden Baird, a Utah Space Grant Consortium graduate fellow, and his advisor, Professor Z. Charlie Zheng, both of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, were recognized by the American Institute of Physics for their research...

The Utah State University College of Engineering has appointed Ning Fang as the new associate dean of faculty and international affairs. Fang most recently held a dual appointment as department head of the Engineering Education Department and as a profess...

The Utah State University College of Engineering has appointed Deepak Keshwani as the new associate dean for academic programs. He will also hold the rank of tenured professor in the department of Biological Engineering.

When Victoria Kemeny walked across the stage as the Utah State University College of Engineering valedictorian, she wasn't just celebrating late nights of homework or hours in the Metal Factory.

After a decade of dedicated research, mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Stephen "Tony" Whitmore has reached a major milestone in advancing next-generation propulsion technology.

Meet the Aggie engineers taking their ambitions to new heights through cutting-edge research, community leadership and a drive to create meaningful impact.

Meet Ryan Lewis: USU Mechanical Engineering alumnus, Astronaut Scholar and current Purdue University graduate student.

When Christopher Fox walked across the Utah State University stage to receive his bachelor's degree in Biological Engineering, he couldn't have known that years later he'd be returning —this time to lead the college's research enterprise.

On June 14, 2025, the Utah State University College of Engineering Rocketry Club successfully launched Sky Streaker at the International Rocket Engineering Competition, held at Spaceport Midland, Texas, and hosted by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Assoc...

Long-distance runners know the power of a 'second wind' — that surge of strength that arrives just when you think you can't go on.

There is a conversation happening on social media that caught my attention recently. On Reddit, TikTok, and LinkedIn, people are claiming that artificial intelligence has made the computer science or software engineering degree a thing of the past. I unde...

Utah State University civil engineering students have the opportunity to study where some of the world's most iconic engineering achievements were born.

Samiul Alam, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at Utah State University, earned second place in the master's category at the 2025 Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering University Research Symposium

Mechanical engineering student Boston John has been selected to receive a renowned scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. John is the fourth USU student to be honored with this prestigious award and is the only recipient in Utah this year....

Som Dutta, assistant professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at Utah State University, in collaboration with the Utah Water Science Center, has been awarded a new grant from the United States Geological Survey, Department of the I...

The Utah State University Mars Rover Team made their in-person debut at the international University Rover Challenge where they placed 27th overall.

Experts at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are conducting critical tests on a hybrid rocket system developed at Utah State University's Propulsion Research Laboratory.

Ziyu Wang, assistant professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at Utah State University, has been selected as one of the 36 recipients of the 2025 Ralph E.

The Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University has appointed Bethany Neilson as the new director. A proud USU alumna, Neilson brings more than two decades of experience in water research, environmental system analysis and mentoring the next g...

The Utah State University Mars Rover Team has earned an invitation to compete in the international University Rover Challenge, taking place May 28-31 at the Mars Desert Research Station in Hanksville, Utah.

Two Utah State University students have been awarded one of the nation's most distinguished research fellowships. Mechanical engineering student Ryan Lewis and geosciences student Michelle Norman were both selected for the National Science Foundation's Gr...

Utah State University's College of Engineering has several graduate programs ranked alongside the nation's top-performing institutions.

Utah State University's College of Engineering is expecting to welcome a large class of incoming students in fall 2025. To kick off their journey, each student has been sent a special swag box filled with Aggie gear, including a beanie, sunglasses, sticke...

Engineering Professor Austin Ball was named the 2025 James D. Ballif Teacher of the Year. This new award recognizes extraordinary teaching and mentorship in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at USU.

The College of Engineering invites everyone to celebrate the achievements of this year's graduating class at Senior Design Night. This exciting showcase will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 29 at the Taggart Student Center in Logan.

The College of Engineering is excited to host a special event on May 9 to honor Mary Cleave, NASA astronaut, USU graduate and a passionate advocate for women in STEM. This event will reveal Cleave's space suit, which she donated to the College of Engineer...

After nearly six years of dedicated service as director of the Utah Water Research Laboratory, (UWRL) David Tarboton has announced his decision to step down from this administrative role. His exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to the UWRL ar...

The College of Engineering at Utah State University has appointed Christopher Fox as the new associate dean for research.

Utah State University alumnus, Major Brigham Moore, Ph.D., P.E., PMP, a deputy squadron commander in the U.S. Air Force, was named the 2025 Federal Engineer of the Year by the National Society of Professional Engineers.

The public is invited to an exciting evening of hands-on learning and family fun at Utah State University. As part of the annual Engineers Week celebration, the College of Engineering is hosting Community Night on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 6:00 p.m.

J. Clair Batty, a Trustee Professor in the College of Engineering at Utah State University, passed away on Feb.

Utah State University professor and world-renowned electrical engineer Regan Zane is among the newly-elected Fellows of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE.

Mechanical engineering student Ryan Lewis is one of 71 people around the country — and the only student from Utah — to receive a major scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The scholarship will be awarded by NASA astronaut Douglas Hurley...

Professors Matt Harris and Greg Droge have very different engineering backgrounds, but their research interests often cross paths. Harris is an aerospace engineer who studies spacecraft controls and trajectory optimization.

USU’s College of Engineering is taking the lead to train future engineers for Utah’s energy and critical minerals future. Earlier this year, USU announced plans to develop the state’s first comprehensive energy engineering program.

For Karmen Teuscher, Utah State University was the perfect launchpad for an academic and professional career in aerospace engineering.

Utah State University is thrilled to welcome Assistant Professor Jackson Kulik, a passionate mathematician and engineer who began his career in higher education this year.

Christian Bolander wants to bring math education out of the Dark Ages. Charged with addressing a very stubborn problem, he’s working to reshape attitudes about math in the engineering classroom.

In celebration of Utah’s Pioneer Day, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Assistant Professor Nadia Kouraytem is being recognized as a Pioneer of Progress in science and technology.

The Utah State University rocketry team celebrated several wins at the annual Spaceport America Cup in White Sands, New Mexico.

The AeroLab at Utah State University is changing the way engineers design aeronautical vehicles with new, optimized design software built from scratch.

For decades, the world declared supersonic flight to be "good enough" for commercial air travel. Some aerospace engineers aren’t quite satisfied.

Devin Nielsen is the USU recipient of the FY24 NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities fellowship, a nationally-recognized fellowship provided by NASA. Roughly 50 graduate students receive this award each year.

The Utah State University Design, Build, Fly team returned from their April competition in Wichita, Kansas in the top 20 percent of all teams.

Although we can’t promise it won’t snow in Cache Valley, we can promise this: Senior Design Night, USU’s largest tech and innovation expo, is back, featuring dozens of unique senior projects.

Please join the College of Engineering in recognizing the achievements of two Utah State University engineering students who were honored at the university’s annual Robins Award Ceremony on April 5.

Join the College of Engineering in congratulating our five newly promoted faculty members.

The Center for the Design and Manufacturing of Advanced Materials will hold its first professional training symposium and mark the opening of Utah’s first research center dedicated to advanced materials on April 19.

Faculty from the College of Engineering took four of 10 university-level awards presented at the Utah State University’s fourth annual faculty awards ceremony on March 28.

Since our last newsletter, our department has had a number of exciting changes, including the inauguration of a new university president.

Are you ready for Engineers Week? The Utah State University College of Engineering will join universities across the nation to celebrate the annual Engineers week— four days full of events, activities and educational fun.

Utah State University has been selected as a member of the United States Space Command University Academic Engagement Enterprise. The goal is to foster relationships between academic institutions and the initiative.

For years, the senior project was a chance to prove what students had learned during their time at Utah State University.

Gavin Morgenegg is the 2023 Aggie recipient of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

Originally from Taiwan, Yi-Cheng Chen came to Utah State University for his master's degree in mechanical engineering. Chen’s brother helped him find the resources he needed as an international student and here he is, following in his brother’s footsteps ...

Over a decade ago, Nick Alley used his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering to create an aerospace defense technology company called Area-I, which designed and built unmanned aerial vehicles for the U.S. military and its allies.

Utah State University engineering student Regan Tracy fell in love with space exploration and STEM at 10 years old and decided right then and there she wanted to grow up to be an engineer.

If you had asked USU alum Scott Ackroyd at graduation where he’d see himself in 20 years, he envisioned a slow, steady career making a stable economic necessity, like ink cartridges.

All members of the Utah State University community are invited to a free open house at The Leonardo museum in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 4th.

As a recent graduate from Utah State University, I am constantly thinking about how I can utilize my new degree (that hasn’t even arrived in the mail yet) to achieve the goals that I set for myself as a freshman.

Three Utah State University engineering students were awarded funding on behalf of the Utah Space Grant Consortium for internships this past summer.

A new financial aid option is available for students seeking a non-thesis engineering graduate degree at Utah State University.

The Leonardo and Utah State University’s College of Engineering announced this week a three-year partnership designed to inspire a new generation of engineers and creative problem solvers.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers section at Utah State University received two awards from the national leadership team for the 2022-2023 school year: Section Achievement Award and the Outstanding Community Engagement/Project Award.

Juhyeong Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has been selected as a recipient of a 2023 Hanwha Non-Tenured Faculty Award.

Utah State University’s Baja SAE chapter returned to Cache Valley having achieved their best result in recent history at this year’s Baja SAE Oregon competition. Their scores put them in 18th position overall out of 86 teams.

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded $2 million in total funding to researchers in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Utah State University for nuclear energy research and innovation.

A new agreement between Utah State University and Hill Air Force Base will create enhanced learning opportunities for students and spur innovative joint research efforts.

A Utah State University engineering student is one of 10 students worldwide to win the Society for Advancement of Material and Process’s International University Student Leadership Experience Award for 2023.

It’s that time of year again: the air is getting warmer, finals are approaching and Senior Design Night is back again for another great evening of senior projects.

Kate Christiansen has always known how important engineering is and has made it a goal in life to help others see it too. That’s why she is the College of Engineering’s 2023 valedictorian.

A group of mechanical and aerospace engineering students were recently selected as recipients in the U.S. Department of Energy’s University Nuclear Leadership Program for their hard work and achievements in the engineering research field.

Renowned physicist, engineer and entrepreneur Eli Yablonovitch will visit Utah State University on April 25 for two lectures about his work in the electrical and computer engineering field.

The College of Engineering at Utah State University extends its congratulations to the nine newly promoted faculty members.

Are you looking for something entertaining to do this summer? Come join us for a two-day camp full of engineering fun!

The Utah Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Initiative has recognized Utah State University professor Nadia Kouraytem as one of their honorary selection of women leaders actively guiding Utah’s advanced manufacturing industry forward.

The College of Engineering will join universities across the nation to celebrate the annual Engineers week— four days full of events, activities and educational fun.

Utah State University recently sent its largest cohort of graduate students to a national conference for aerospace research, development and technology.

Utah State University researchers are part of a team that recently received a $4.6 million grant from the United States Department of Energy to further solar energy research.

Utah State University and National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan are opening the door for students to complete a collaborative Ph.D. program at both universities.

Maggie Lea, a mechanical and aerospace engineering student at Utah State University, was the Aggie to be named a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow in February.

Utah State University recently joined the highest level of research institutions in the country by earning an R1 classification from the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.

In certain regions of Brazil, don’t be surprised if your GPS device behaves erratically. For years, researchers have been scratching their heads, looking for a solution to the unreliable GPS signals in regions near the Amazon. The cause? Plasma bubbles in...

Utah is home to more than 200 companies supporting the aerospace, biomedical, renewable energy, bioproducts, and defense industries. In response to the hot job market, the College of Engineering now offers a composite materials and structures master of sc...

Som Dutta, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, recently collaborated on a published article in Scientific Advances on the creation of a COVID-19 model and its ability to compare risk of SARS-CoV in various scenarios.

What do trampolines, refrigerators and pianos have in common? They all make great targets for pumpkins, of course!

The Society of Women Engineers will be hosting its 14th annual Evening With Industry with the hope of helping students kickstart their engineering careers. Students will have the opportunity to meet one on one with company representatives from over 23 dif...

Assistant Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Haoran Wang has been granted $246,549 by the National Science Foundation for his research on harnessing mechanics for the design of lithium batteries.

Congratulations to aerospace engineering graduate student Christine Case for receiving a fellowship from the Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium. This funding will support Case’s research to improve the sensing applications for drones.

Utah State University researchers recently published a study exploring the mechanics behind a commonly used Asian cooking technique.

Ryan Berke, a mechanical and aerospace engineering associate professor at Utah State University, is the school’s new Goldwater scholarship mentor.

After two years of adaptations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Utah State University College of Engineering is back to hosting its overnight engineering camp for high school students.

Utah State University mechanical and aerospace engineering doctoral candidate Cory Goates and his advisor Douglas Hunsaker, recently won the 2022 Applied Aerodynamics Best Paper Award from the 2022 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTec...

The College of Engineering at Utah State University congratulates all students who graduated May 5.

Senior Design Night is back. After two years of being held virtually due to the pandemic, graduating seniors from the Utah State University College of Engineering will once again showcase their capstone projects in person at the Taggart Student Center.

Utah State University assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering Nadia Kouraytem is a co-author of a recently published review exploring defects and anomalies found in 3D printed metals.

The College of Engineering at Utah State University extends its congratulations to the nine newly promoted faculty members.

Mechanical engineering student Elijah Kimmel is interning with a federal and state-funded initiative aimed at bringing a variety of partners together to support growth in Utah’s advanced material and manufacturing industry.

A Utah State University engineering student is part of a team creating an event calendar app aimed at USU students.

Fifteen new students were recently named Engineering Undergraduate Research Program fellows as part of the program's 17th cohort. The Engineering Undergraduate Research Program, or EURP, began in 2010 and provides support to engineering undergraduate stud...

This year 12 new sponsors are participating in the Utah State University College of Engineering Senior Design program, including the Logan-based, non-profit adaptive art studio Jump the Moon.

Six Utah State University College of Engineering students presented their research in Salt Lake City on Tuesday as part of the annual Research on Capitol Hill event.

With support from the Presidential Doctoral Research Fellowship program, Prasenjit Dewanjee is pursuing his Ph.D. in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Utah State University.

Maggie Lea, a mechanical and aerospace engineering student at Utah State University, is the first USU student to be named a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow.

Two retired NASA astronauts will share highlights from their distinguished careers at a special event commemorating a new scholarship that will support Utah State University’s brightest.

Students are invited to a special College of Engineering event on Jan 19 with keynote speaker Matt Berrett who is the current Director of Analytics at Space Dynamics Laboratory and a former assistant director of the United States Central Intelligence Agen...

Matt Harris, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Utah State University, recently received a grant for $347,000 from the Office of Naval Research.

Utah State University assistant professor of mechanical engineering Haoran Wang received a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation as part of the organization's new Engineering Research Initiation program that began last year.

With 1,032 undergraduate and 86 graduate students, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is the biggest department in Utah State University’s College of Engineering.

Using the tip of a wet chopstick to test oil temperature while cooking tempura is a classic Asian cooking technique. The sound the water makes when it enters the oil indicates whether or not the oil is the right temperature for cooking.

When Sandra Fitzgerald started her career as a journeyman engineer at Hill Air Force Base, the sound of the ringing telephone often made her feel a little nervous. It was 1988.

Researchers from Utah State University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering are advancing the future of nuclear power. This summer, two researchers each received an $800,000 grant from the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy University P...

More than 250 students in the College of Engineering attended the Launch Your Engineering Career kickoff event on Sept. 8.

Research by a Utah State University College of Engineering professor is featured on the September cover of one of the world’s oldest scientific publications.

A senior in the Utah State University mechanical engineering program is one of 113 students nationwide who received a scholarship from The American Society of Mechanical Engineers for the 2021-22 school year.

Electrical engineering professor Charles Swenson will get $5.4 million in NASA funding to test his active thermal architectures. Swenson’s ATA technology will be installed inside CubeSats — small spacecraft about the size of two loaves of bread — which ar...

A Utah State University engineering team won first place at the 2021 Wasatch Aerospace and Systems Engineering Mini-Conference. Their award-winning tech was a 3D-printed, plastic-based rocket propellant.

Professors do it. Grad students never stop talking about it. But for many undergraduate students, research is still an enigma.

Associate professor of ME Nick Roberts got into engineering the way many do: growing up, he liked taking things apart and putting them back together. But thermodynamics and heat transfer, now his research focus, wasn’t an obvious match.

Several graduate programs within Utah State University’s College of Engineering were ranked alongside some of the top-performing schools in the nation.

We extend our congratulations to six faculty and 18 students for being recognized at a socially distanced awards ceremony Mar. 24.

The world watched when Perseverance landed on Mars to begin its mission. Events like this speak to many people, but for Matthew Fifield, it was more personal. The company where he works as a test manager built a component for the rover.

The College of Engineering congratulates the professor and five students who were honored at the Feb. 27 Utah Engineers Council Awards Banquet.

Meet Savannah, a mechanical engineering major from Farmington, Utah! Savannah graduates in May and is excited to start her dream job in designing HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and refrigeration systems.

USU alum Barry Santana has established a scholarship in the name of Dr. Winfred O. Carter. Santana hopes this will highlight Carter’s lifelong contributions as a dedicated mentor and as a pioneer in computer-aided structural analysis and design.

As we gear up for a new semester, it’s important to pause and reflect on the difficult circumstances we’re all facing today. We know the pandemic has impacted your university experience and personal lives in different ways.

Welcome back, engineering student! We’re thrilled to see you returning. We realize your university experience is heavily impacted by the pandemic, and we’re doing everything we can to provide a safe learning environment.