MEMSDUKEPRATT School of engineering

Department Information

Department Information

Department at a Glance:
  • 23 tenured or tenure track faculty
  • $5.4 M in research expenditures
  • 50 graduate students
  • ~65 ME undergraduate students graduated per year
Highlights of the 2007-2008 Academic Year:
  • Lois and John L. Imhoff Distinguished Teaching Award - Benjamin B. Yellen
  • Duke 2008 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring - Justin Jaworski
  • Spirit of St. Louis Medal, American Society of Mechanical Engineering - Earl Dowell
  • Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Memorial Lectureship Award, International Council of Aeronautical Sciences in Anchorage - Earl Dowell
  • Stansell Family Distinguished Research Award - Piotr E. Marszalek
  • 2008 Donald Q. Kern Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers - Adrian Bejan
  • Fluid Science Research Award, Institute of Fluid Science - Adrian Bejan
  • Devendra P. Garg Award for Intelligent Systems, American Society of Mechanical Engineers - Devendra Garg
  • Office of Naval Research Young Investigator – Brian Mann
  • 2008 Young Investigator Award from the International Conference on Computational and Experimental Engineering and Sciences - Stefan Zauscher

Department Newsletter 

2009 MEMS Newsletter

News & Accomplishments

  • August 11, 2009
    Capping a Two-Faced Particle Gives...
    DURHAM, N.C. – Scientists drew fittingly from Roman mythology when they named a unique class of miniscule particles after the ...READ MORE
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  • July 17, 2009
    Why Winning Athletes Are Getting...
    DURHAM, N.C. -- While watching swimmers line up during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, former Olympic swimmer and NBC ...READ MORE
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  • June 30, 2009
    Triangles Go Underwater and...
    DURHAM, N.C. – The seeming effortlessness as dolphins and porpoises slice through the water and the unique capabilities of the ...READ MORE
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    Department faculty structure:

    • 11 Professors
    • 6 Associate Professors
    • 6 Assistant Professors (plus Xuanhe Zhao, joining 7/1/10)
    • 4 Emeriti Professors
    • 1 Research Faculty
    • 1 Faculty of the Practice
    • 2 Secondary Faculty
    • The faculty includes multiple ASME Fellows, NSF CAREER Award winners, ONR Young Investigators, and NSF PECASE awardees

    Research Groups:

    • Acoustics
    • Aerodynamics & Fluid Dynamics
    • Biomechanics & Biomaterials
    • Dynamics & Controls
    • Energy Tech & Thermodynamics
    • Manufacturing
    • Mechanics & Material Science

    Research Centers:

    Center for Biologically Inspired Materials and Material Systems

    Undergraduate Program:

    • ~65 undergraduate MEs graduated per year
    • Double majors with Computer Science, Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Economics
    • Duke, Pratt, Chambers Fellowship award winners
    • The Home Depot Smart Home, Electric Car, Duke Motorsports, Robotics competitions
    • Engage early in research

    Graduate Program:

    • 50 MEMS Ph.D. and M.S. graduate students
    • Research expenditures were $5.4 M in 2007
    • Funding sources are DOD, NSF, NIH, non-government & Industry, and other foundations
    • Students eligible for highly competitive Duke and Pratt fellowships

     

     

    The mission of Duke's Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science educational programs is to provide the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to be successful in the practice of engineering; the preparation necessary to undertake professional registration; an educational preparation for graduate or professional study; and an education background that is the basis for professional growth and leadership throughout a career that may encompass a broad range of endeavors, both technical and non-technical.