4 - Mechanical Engineering - University of Michigan

02
me.engin.umich.edu
Message from the Chair
“As one of the nation’s top mechanical engineering programs, the
University of Michigan Department of Mechanical Engineering
continually strives toward excellence on many fronts.”
A
s one of the nation’s top mechanical
engineering programs, the
University of Michigan (U-M)
Department of Mechanical Engineering
(ME) continually strives toward excellence
on many fronts. I am delighted to share
the highlights of our efforts, advances and
impact over the past year with you in this
2011-12 annual report.
Construction of our department’s new
$46 million, 62,880-square-foot research
complex is continuing on schedule, with
completion expected by spring 2014.
This new complex will enable transformative
research activities, integrating core
mechanical engineering with emerging
areas, such as micro-, nano- and
bio- systems.
In addition, we were thrilled to learn
recently that the State of Michigan will
provide $30 million for a major renovation
of the existing G.G. Brown building. This
is an approximately $47 million project
focused on creating a modern, world-class
instructional space for active teaching and
learning in mechanical engineering.
Our faculty members are playing leadership
roles and receiving recognition at the
national and international levels. Professor
Jyotirmoy Mazumder has been elected
to the National Academy of Engineering,
one of the highest professional honors
accorded an engineer. Six of our junior
faculty have garnered seven competitive
young investigator awards in 2012,
from the National Science Foundation,
National Institutes of Health, Air Force
Office of Scientific Research, Office of
Naval Research and DARPA. Our colleagues
have been invited to comment on
important issues related to energy and the
environment in national media. ME faculty
continue to lead many multidisciplinary
research activities. Recently we forged two
new collaborations with industry partners
BAIC Motor Corporation, Ltd., and FAW
Group Corporation. The two resulting
research centers will be housed at U-M
and led by ME faculty.
Two new colleagues are joining our faculty
at the start of the 2012-13 academic year:
André Boehman, Professor of Mechanical
Engineering, is a world leader in fuel
processing and combustion research;
Assistant Professor David Remy brings
a wealth of new expertise in robotics,
mechatronics and biomechanics. Several
new faculty searches for the coming year
are underway as well.
On the research front, our discoveries
continue to impact both the scientific
community and society. As you will read
in the pages ahead, investigators have
made breakthroughs in fundamental and
applied research across many fields, from
mechanics, acoustics, energy, transportation,
manufacturing and robotics to bio-
and nano-technologies. Multidisciplinary
research centers in clean vehicles,
advanced batteries, heat transfer at material
interfaces and advanced manufacturing
also are highlighted.
We continue to launch new education
programs and opportunities for students
in Ann Arbor and abroad—in classrooms,
laboratories and remote health clinics, to
name just a few of the learning environments.
Our student teams—MRacing, Baja
and the Solar Car Team—again excelled
in the many competitions in which they
participated.
We are proud of the achievements of our
alumni and are grateful for their continued
support of the Department in so very many
ways. The examples included in this report
are only a small sampling.
Thank you for your interest, and here is to a
productive, fruitful year ahead.
Kon-Well Wang
Stephen P. Timoshenko Collegiate
Professor and Chair, Department of
Mechanical Engineering