Mechanical Engineering

Vanderbilt University mechanical engineer Leon Bellan is working to create artificial human capillary blood vessels using cotton candy and gelatin. His goal is for researchers to use these man-made capillaries to help keep artificial organs and other tissues alive, which could dramatically impact the field of regenerative medicine. Vascular… Read More

The use of high-performance carbon fibers in the past 50 years has revolutionized product design and manufacturing – from airplanes and automobiles to golf clubs and skateboards. However, the barrier to expanding applications for the stalwart carbon composites and the advanced composite materials being developed now is an ‘outdated and… Read More

Should humans go straight to Mars or stop at the moon first? It’s an actual debate in international space exploration circles, NASA engineers told a group of Vanderbilt University School of Engineering students and professors Friday afternoon. It’s also one where NASA has a strong voice — thanks to development… Read More

Montgomery Bell Academy students enjoy a demonstration of Vanderbilt Aerospace Club's 2014-2015 entry (far left) in NASA's Student Launch Competition. Vanderbilt students are (L-R) William Emfinger, Pranav Kumar, Conner Caldwell, Alex Goodman, Cameron Ridgewell, Fred Folz, Chris Lyne and Jacob Moore. A robotic arm moves directly over a Vanderbilt Aerospace… Read More

Fourth-year mechanical engineering student Teddy Russell, second from right, guides a tour through Featheringill Hall. (Heidi Hall/Vanderbilt University) It’s apparent to anyone who spends more than a few minutes on campus that tour season is here, bringing thousands of potential Vanderbilt… Read More

The School of Engineering’s graduate program is No. 35 in annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The 2016 graduate program rankings were released today. The school, which tied with Yale University, ranks ahead of Boston University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and just behind the University of Colorado-Boulder. MIT… Read More

Pietro Valdastri is convinced that the clever application of magnetic force can make minimally invasive surgery easier and more effective. “In 2007, a team of University of Texas researchers did some basic experiments using magnets in laparoscopic surgery,” said Valdastri, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and director of Vanderbilt… Read More

R. Byron Pipes to deliver Hall Engineering Lecture March 30 A globally recognized polymer sciences researcher will deliver the John R. and Donna S. Hall Engineering Lecture March 30. R. Byron Pipes, Purdue University R. Byron Pipes, John Leighton Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Purdue University, will deliver a… Read More

Ph.D. student Andrew Ekelem, far left, and physical therapist Christina Durrough work with exoskeleton test subject Dustin Fleeman. (John Russell/Vanderbilt University) Andrew Ekelem sits in a wheelchair at the bottom of the fifth-floor stairwell at Olin Hall, laptop balanced on his thighs, quick keystrokes making tiny adjustments… Read More

Race car driver and engineering alumnus Brad Jaeger can be seen very briefly in a 90-second Nissan commercial during the 2015 Super Bowl on Feb. 1 featuring the relationship between a race car driver and his… Read More