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Purdue University Mechanical Engineering

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Purdue University Mechanical Engineering

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Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering, established in 1882. The School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University is truly unique.

We began in 1882 as experts in locomotives (thus the name "Boilermakers!") And now in the 21st century, we continue to move the world forward by combining the latest technologies with the strongest of fundamentals. About 1,500 undergraduate students, 700 graduate students, and 90 faculty are part of the Purdue ME family. As the broadest engineering discipline, our students and faculty have the widest variety of interests and expertise. Design; dynamic systems; fluid mechanics; heat transfer; manufacturing; solid mechanics; systems, measurements, and controls; and thermodynamics are all a part of the ME curriculum. And our graduates put these skills to work in numerous fields, including aerospace & defense, biomedicine, manufacturing, energy, transportation, and much more.

10/23/2026

Congratulations to Andres Tovar, elected as a Fellow to ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)! Andres studies topology optimization, additive manufacturing, and motorsports engineering.

10/23/2026

Tonight we present the Outstanding Mechanical Engineer Alumni Awards, recognizing the accomplishments of our amazing Boilermakers in industry, academia, and public service. The 2026 honorees are:
N.K. Anand (PhD 1983)
David L. Blunck (MSME 2008, PhD 2010)
Áine Denari (MSME 1996)
Fred Elbert (BSME 1984)
Dr. Daniel Finfer (BSME 2002)
K*k Kim Frey (MSME 1991, PhD 1996)
Kislaya Kunjan (MSME 2003)
Jeff Matthews (MSME 1995)
Mahi Rayasam (PhD 2007)

Ceremony will be livestreamed, starting at 6:45 pm EDT. Learn more about our honorees here: https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME/People/OME

10/22/2026

FACULTY OPENING: We are seeking a tenure-track professor in the area of energy and environment. Apply today: https://careers.purdue.edu/job/AssistantAssociate-Professor-in-Energy-&-Environment-Engineering-%28Indianapolis%29/44400-en_US/

10/21/2026

🎃 HALLOWEEN HUNDRED: Purdue motorsports engineering student Dylan White has won the Halloween Hundred, the Purdue Grand Prix's fall go-kart race.

A member of the Purdue Class of 2028 and the John Martinson Honors College, White won the 100-lap race against 29 other student teams despite an engine problem that forced him to start from pit lane.

The challenge began before the race even started. As the karts pulled off the grid, White’s engine refused to fire, putting him at an immediate disadvantage.

White worked his way through the field before the mandatory pit-stop cycle became a turning point in the race. Ryan Fiorentino pitted on lap 51, followed by Carson Bowers on lap 53, promoting White to the lead.

Over the next several laps, White put together one of the most consistent stretches of his race. When he made his own pit stop on lap 61, he rejoined the race ahead of both Bowers and Fiorentino. By executing the overcut strategy, White gained track position through the pit cycle without having to pass either competitor on the track.

Fiorentino later became involved in an incident with the No. 11 kart, leaving Bowers as the only other competitor on the lead lap at the end of lap 100.

White’s victory included an unusual scoring complication. The flagman did not display the checkered flag when White first completed lap 100, resulting in White completing an additional lap. The extra lap confused the scoring system, which incorrectly indicated that White had lapped the entire field.

White crossed the Yard of Bricks to claim the victory, drawing cheers from the crowd and his Dynoco Racing teammates. After a cool-down lap, he celebrated with a glass of orange-colored milk and a pumpkin-smashing tradition that capped his Halloween Hundred performance.

“This team has always believed in me from day one, and I wouldn't want to race for anyone else at Purdue,” White said. “Having them with me makes winning feel 10 times more enjoyable.”

10/14/2026

Purdue Formula SAE is the #1 team in North America for 2026! They will continue to blaze trails in 2027, thanks to new pressure scanners from Chell Instruments Limited.

World-leaders in gas measurement and control instrumentation, Chell Instruments, have donated their nanoDAQ-LTS-16 miniature pressure scanner and quick start cable to Purdue Formula SAE racing team.

The technology will support the racing team from Purdue University as they seek to develop and validate their single-seater racing car for the 2026/27 season.

“We love working with universities on these types of projects and have already helped a number of student motorsport teams around the world. So, when students from Purdue contacted us, we were pleased to support them with our latest miniature pressure scanner and quick start cable!” says Jamie Shanahan, Director at Chell Instruments.

Founded in 1992, Purdue Formula SAE are a student-led racing team from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.

Made up of 50 students primarily from mechanical engineering courses, the team combine their engineering skills with state-of-the-art tools to manufacture Internal Combustion (IC) racing cars for the Formula SAE competitions.

This approach has delivered significant success for the team. In May, Purdue secured second place at FSAE Michigan 2026, with strong results across each category including second place in both Endurance and Autocross.

From this success, the team wish to enhance the competitiveness of their 2026/27 racing car with better Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) validation.

By using Chell’s nanoDAQ-LTS-16 pressure scanner to measure air pressure across components such as the front wing, rear wing, sidepods and floor, the team can now validate their CFD simulations against real-world data.

“Thanks to Chell’s donation of their nanoDAQ pressure scanner, we can now measure and compare real-world air pressure with our computer models. This will allow us to refine any miscalculated drag or downforce, ultimately helping improve the aerodynamics of our racing car for next season” says Lucas Wolf, Aerodynamics and Composite Lead of Purdue Formula SAE.

For 50 years, Chell Instruments have been providing pressure, vacuum and gas flow measurement equipment across a wide range of industries, including aerospace, pharmaceuticals, energy and – most notably – motorsport.

In motorsport, Chell work with almost all Formula 1 teams to provide cutting-edge pressure measurement equipment that helps assess the aerodynamic properties of racing cars, reduce drag and increase downforce.

“At Chell, we are always looking for ways where we can support the next generation of innovative engineering minds. We’re really excited to see our nanoDAQ-LTS-16 put to good use by the Purdue FSAE team and we hope it provides the aerodynamic validation needed to reach the top of the podium!” concludes Jamie.

10/13/2026

Purdue University Mechanical Engineering is proud to welcome new faculty members for the 2026-2027 academic year. As of January 2027, 95 tenure/tenure-track faculty have appointments in the School of Mechanical Engineering, in addition to professors of practice, research professors, visiting professors, adjuncts, lecturers, courtesy professors, and emeritus professors.

Pieremanuele Canepa

Pieremanuele "Piero" Canepa joins Purdue University as Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering in November 2026. He comes from the University of Houston, where his research applies and develops computational methods to advance our understanding of material properties for energy storage and conversion. His research combines materials science, thermodynamics, electrochemistry, and supercomputing to discover novel materials and molecules. The models developed support the rational design of clean-energy technologies, including battery electrode materials, ionic conductors, and liquid electrolytes for energy-dense, sustainable energy-storage systems.

John Eric Goff

Joining Purdue this summer, John Eric Goff is Professor of Engineering Practice In Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. An internationally recognized expert in the physics of sports, Goff studies how the laws of physics influence athletic performance and sports equipment. His research spans topics ranging from the aerodynamics of soccer balls and modeling of the Tour de France to shoe-court friction, climbing-helmet safety and other sports engineering problems. Goff will help develop Purdue’s growing Sports Engineering program, bringing together engineering, physics and athletics to prepare students for careers in a growing area of engineering.

Mina Karimi

Mina began at Purdue in January 2026 as Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, after a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon. Her lab develops new mathematical and computational approaches by integrating physics-based multiscale models, statistical learning methods and data to address complex multi-physics problems in engineering. Her research focuses on mechanics of porous materials, fluid transport, solid-fluid interactions, and thermo-chemo-mechanical coupling with applications ranging from geomaterials for subsurface water transport, energy storage and production to soft biological materials.

Romit Maulik

Romit joined Purdue from Argonne National Labs in January 2026 as Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Perry Faculty Academic Excellence Scholar. His Interdisciplinary Scientific Computing Laboratory performs research at the intersection of data science, applied mathematics, and high-performance computing to enhance the understanding of complex multifidelity and multiphysics phenomena — creating science-based AI algorithms for applications in mechanical and aerospace engineering, Earth systems modeling, nuclear fusion, and more.

Scott Michaels

Scott Michaels is the newest faculty member of Purdue's Motorsports Engineering program, the only such accredited program in the country. As Assistant Professor of Engineering Practice, Scott teaches various classes to Motorsports Engineering students and operates motorsports-related outreaches and other extracurricular activities. Originally from England, Scott has a Master's and Ph.D. from University of Southampton. In addition to previously teaching engineering at the K-12 level, he has worked for Team Penske in North Carolina, and has competed as an elite cyclist and cycling coach.

Sascha Ranftl

Purdue welcomed Sascha Ranftl as Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering in August 2026. A physicist by training, he brings an interdisciplinary approach to probabilistic and scientific machine learning, including Bayesian & physics-based machine learning, uncertainty quantification, data analysis, and interdisciplinary applications in mechanical and biomedical engineering. His bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. are from TU Graz, Austria.

10/12/2026

NASA couldn't have launched humans around the moon on Artemis II without the help of dedicated Boilermakers like Mark Baldwin (BSME 1997) and Scott Tingle (MSME 1988).

Mark Baldwin has a unique dual background, with degrees in both mechanical engineering and orthopedics. When he joined Lockheed Martin in 2009 as occupant protection lead, he utilized both skill sets working on the Orion capsule. First, he helped to measure the stresses of the vehicle itself, especially during its planned water landing. Second, he worked to secure the safety and comfort of its human occupants, refining the seats, restraints, control panels and more. After an uncrewed mission in 2022, Orion’s full repertoire was finally put to the test on Artemis II in April 2026 — the first crewed mission around the moon in more than 50 years.

Launch and landing are the two most tenuous times during human spaceflight, and Baldwin had prepared 15 years for both. The launch of Artemis II went smoothly, with the four astronauts communicating and functioning successfully through the intense vibrations of the rocket. After the astronauts’ mission around the moon, Baldwin watched eagerly as splashdown approached. “I knew if (the capsule deployed) three good parachutes, the injury and structural risks were very low,” he says. “When those three parachutes inflated to full open, 15 years of stress and anxiety was released. The landing was just as we simulated it.”

“Success of this mission was built on solid engineering fundamentals through years of dedication and teamwork,” Baldwin says. “I appreciate all that the Purdue engineering program did for me personally and many of my colleagues who helped put Artemis II in the history books.”

Scott Tingle joined NASA’s Astronaut Corps in 2009 and flew his first mission to the International Space Station in 2017. Today, as NASA’s chief of the Astronaut Office, he is responsible for assigning astronauts to their missions and managing their needs before, during and after the mission.

“It’s a really big job,” says Tingle. “We need to make sure we’re taking care of our crew, taking care of their families, and making sure our systems are safe, efficient and effective to get the job done.”

For Artemis II, Tingle was one of the last people to speak to the crew before they entered the capsule — and one of the first to greet them once they splashed down two weeks later. Now he’s focused on guiding the Artemis III crew and eventually choosing the next crew, which will feature the first woman to walk on the moon.

“We’ve been trying to do this for 50 years,” he says. “We’re focusing on what it takes to get boots back on the moon — and eventually a permanent human presence on the moon.”

10/12/2026

The 2026 SES Conference has begun! This annual conference from the Society of Engineering Science (SES) promotes the development and strengthening of the interfaces between various disciplines in engineering, science, and mathematics.

SEs was founded at Purdue in 1963 by A.C. Eringen. He wanted to foster cooperation and discussion among scientists and engineers of diverse backgrounds. As a result, in November 1963 he welcomed to Purdue's campus more than 400 physicists, chemists, mathematicians, and engineers from around the world, and from all types of specializations. One of the featured speakers was Vladimir Zworykin, inventor of the cathode ray tube for television.

The 2026 conference's co-chairs are both professors in the School of Mechanical Engineering: Thomas Siegmund and Kejie Zhao. "We're excited to welcome engineers and scientists from around the world, and bring this conference back to where it all started," said Zhao.

10/09/2026

Congratulations to Xiulin Ruan on his named professorship! He is now Reilly Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Ruan joined the mechanical engineering faculty at Purdue in 2007. His research focuses on heat transfer and nanoscale energy transport, advancing fundamental understanding in phonon scattering, machine learning methods for thermal transport, high and low thermal conductivity materials, interfacial heat transfer, and thermal radiative transport. These findings also led him to the invention of radiative cooling paints that cool below the ambient temperature under sunlight. The invention earned the 2022 Guinness World Record for “world’s whitest paint” and led Ruan to found NanoChill Technologies Inc. Ruan has received more than 18,000 citations, with more than 10 of his publications as senior author recognized by Clarivate as Highly Cited Papers. He has held many leadership positions in the field, such as serving as committee chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) K-8 Theory and Fundamental Research committee in heat transfer. Twenty-four of his former mentees have joined academia, while 28 have pursued leadership positions in industry or established their own startup companies. He is a fellow of ASME. His awards and honors include receiving the ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award, the ASME McDonald Mentoring Award, the Brillouin Medal from the International Phononics Society and an NSF CAREER award; being recognized as a Purdue University Faculty Scholar; and receiving the College of Engineering Faculty Excellence Award for Research and the South by Southwest Innovation Award for Sustainability. The Reilly Professor of Mechanical Engineering professorship honors Vincent P. Reilly, a 1922 Purdue alumnus and founder of Illinois Gear and Machine Co. The endowment was created in 1969.

10/08/2026

Growing up in Illinois, aspiring race car driver Noah Eisenhower has competed at some of the toughest short tracks in the country. But he has a secret weapon: a Purdue education in Motorsports Engineering.

NDE Racing - Noah Eisenhower

Like many aspiring drivers, racing is a family affair for Noah. “My parents are involved in racing; both sets of grandparents are still involved,” he said. “My dad put me in a go-kart at the age of four. I ran on dirt tracks, asphalt tracks, street tracks, and it just took off from there. Getting involved at a young age is really beneficial to your growth as a driver.”

And it worked. Noah raced Legends cars (5/8-scale hot rods) in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. In 2018, he was named Rookie of the Year at Wisconsin Dells, and Illinois State Champion in his age class. He eventually stepped up to Late Model stock cars, racking up wins and top-5 finishes throughout his high school years.

His father also encouraged him to think about his future. “When I was about 11 or 12, my dad talked to me about college, and how that might prepare me for a future career,” he said. “We started researching, and found out about the Purdue Motorsports Engineering program in Indianapolis. So from that point on, I started taking classes that would prepare me for that.”

Not that it was always easy. “Math was my worst subject!” he laughed. “That’s one of the things I’m actually proud of since I’ve been here at Purdue; I actually had to step up my game with math. I put a lot of effort into it, and have come a long way!”

Last year, Noah was chosen for the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, which supports young stock car drivers. He finished 4th in their rankings. Despite running only a partial schedule, his family team also finished top-10 in the two short-track series they competed in throughout the Midwest.

As the only accredited motorsports engineering program in the country, Purdue is turbocharging his efforts. “All of motorsports is math and physics,” Noah said. “When we’re debriefing after a practice session, I want to understand why things are happening with the car, and what we can do to change it. There are a lot of variables involved in racing, and changing inputs here might create different outputs there. My degree helps me to make educated decisions to improve our team.”

Autumn is racing season in the Midwest, when local short tracks organize their “Fall Specials.” For Noah, that makes life a little complicated.

“Once school starts, let’s just say I really have to plan my schedule,” he said. “I try to take Friday classes early in the morning, so that I have time to head home and get the car ready to travel and spend the weekend at these tracks.”

Noah is part of the Appalachian Sucker Punch ASA Midwest Tour, a super-late model series at asphalt short tracks. He drives a full-body stock car weighing 2,750 pounds, with 10-inch slick tires and 525 horsepower. “It’s like a monster underneath my foot,” he said. “The grip is incredible. But it also means when I’m at the track, I’m 100% focused. We have two or three practice sessions, a qualifier heat race, and then a 200-lap feature. Afterwards we can recover, and then I have to travel back to Indy so I can hit classes hard on Monday morning!”

Regardless of what happens on the track, Noah is still making plans for his future. Through his racing connections, Noah scored an internship with Hendrick Technical Solutions, a spin-off of Hendrick Motorsports that does defense manufacturing. “I am always looking to build my resume to give myself the best opportunity for a job when I graduate,” he said.

As for his future, Noah sees bountiful opportunities, whether they are at the track or elsewhere. “It’s everyone’s dream as a kid to succeed as a race car driver,” he said. “But it’s a 100-to-1 shot of those who really make it. That’s why I chose to complete an engineering degree from Purdue. My horizons are pretty broad — whether that’s race engineering in NASCAR, or IndyCar, or somewhere else. I’m only going to get better by taking the necessary steps to eventually work my way up there.”

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Friday	8am - 5pm

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