Page 2 - ME News Spring 2022

A message from the
DEPARTMENT HEAD
It’s been a busy and exciting time at UMN ME.
We undertook an 18-month renovation project on our building, requiring us to vacate the west wing of all floors. I am pleased to report that we are back in the new and improved building. Stop by and visit.
This spring we are welcoming a new faculty
member, Dr. Marien Simeni. He will join an
outstanding group of ME faculty working on
plasma and reactive flows. I am proud of our
assistant professors who are all building impressive research teams and facilities. Our students will benefit from their work for years to come.
The pandemic continues to keep us on our toes, but we have gotten used to existing in a hybrid world and now occupy both digital and in-person spaces skillfully. Our research continues to break new ground and our students never cease to impress me with their curiosity, intelligence, fortitude, and drive.
This edition of the newsletter covers our fifth and final Impact Area: Next- Gen Manufacturing. I hope you enjoy learning about how ME is propelling manufacturing to new frontiers.
Best regards,
Susan Mantell, Ph.D.
James J. Ryan Professor, Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor Department Head
ON THE COVER: Next-Gen Manufacturing
Smart material that forms to the shape it fits around, from Julianna Abel’s Design of Active Materials and Structures Lab (DAMSL).
The future of manufacturing lies in
the hands of mechanical engineers.
Our department is a leader in integrating functional materials into advanced manufacturing, 3D printing, and developing next-generation manufacturing and material synthesis technologies. From creating new materials to creating new ways to
make those materials, mechanical engineering plays a critical role in enabling game-changing developments in manufacturing.
2 ME News Spring 2022