Page 2 - ME Spring 2020 Newsletter

A letter from the
DEPARTMENT HEAD
The spring 2020 semester came with unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Within a matter of days, we had to pivot our bustling, busy department into a fully remote environment. I’m delighted to report that the department remains as active as before and we finished the semester strong without interrupting our world-class education and research. Our staff, faculty, and students continue to impress me with their innovation and flexibility.
Despite the bumps in the road, we entered the
summer with new faculty awards, prestigious
student successes, and research that stands to make its mark on the world. I chose “robotics” as the connecting thread that weaves through this newsletter because the department truly excels at teaching robotics and pushing robotics research forward to new frontiers.
In this issue, you’ll learn about robotics at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and you’ll also get the latest on the work our faculty is doing in the fight against COVID-19. When faced with a global problem, ME faculty jumped in without hesitation and the results were truly impressive — including the first emergency ventilator alternative of its kind to get FDA approval.
I hope you enjoy learning about the work that continues to be done at the department. It’s a team I’m proud to be a part of, now more than ever.
Best wishes,
Susan Mantell, Ph.D.
James J. Ryan Professor, Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor Department Head
ME Goes Remote: Q&A with Professor Mantell
The U temporarily transitioned to online teaching in March 2020 due to COVID-19. How did you make sure students’ education wasn’t interrupted?
It was a tough transition. We are a hands- on department and we had to go online in about four days. The department bought document cameras for faculty to use
in live demonstrations and we ramped
up our at-home tech setups. For our graduating seniors, we put together a way to celebrate their successes online. Some lab work had to fall by the wayside, but I’m confident that we did the best we could for our students given the circumstances.
What departmental strengths have become clear in this transition?
Adaptability. Problem-solving. Creativity — yes, engineers can be creative, it
turns out. The easy way out would have been to just consider the semester a lost cause, but ME faculty demonstrated their commitment to our students and worked harder than ever to come up with ways to teach a deeply practical field in an online environment. We also demonstrated significant strengths in the fight against a global pandemic, especially in filtration, aerosols, and biomedical devices. ME is at the forefront of anti-viral innovation.
2 ME News Summer 2020