Departmental News

Dr. Nan Zhao is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science (MEES) at UNC Charlotte. He earned his B.S. from Northwest A&F University and his M.S. from North Carolina A&T State University, both in Bioengineering. In 2019, he completed a Ph.D. in Biongineering at Penn State, where he developed novel hydrogels to promote […]

On October 17, 2025, UNC Charlotte partnered with MSC Industrial Supply Co. to host a vibrant Manufacturing Day event that celebrated the future of advanced manufacturing. Held at the university’s campus in Duke Centennial Hall, the event welcomed students, educators, and industry professionals for a hands-on exploration of modern manufacturing. Attendees engaged with interactive demonstrations […]

Limited-edition gear celebrates the University’s first all-electric race car team Charlotte’s first all-electric race car team is being celebrated with limited-edition gear. Charlotte-based lifestyle brand 704 Shop and UNC Charlotte’s 49ers Racing Electric Vehicle (EV) Team have collaborated in a first-ever partnership between the two groups: a custom-designed t-shirt that serves as a city-wide spotlight, shining […]

In a first-of-its-kind project to study one of the planet’s last unexplored environments, Roger Tipton is leading a team of researchers from multiple universities that will investigate the Arctic’s pristine waters. This rare opportunity has become possible with the recent weakening and melting of the Arctic ice field. Tipton, UNC Charlotte research associate professor of mechanical engineering, and […]

Xiang Chen wins NSF CAREER award to explore the complexities of energy supportive materials Imagine creating a material by stacking incredibly thin, alternating layers of different substances, each layer precisely controlled in its thickness. This is essentially what a superlattice is. When these superlattices are designed to help ions, or electrically charged particles, conduct their […]

Engineering involves significant creativity. For engineers, this incredibly transferrable trait can be applied in many different ways, often in a lab, such as a computer lab, maker space or machine shop. But a chocolate lab? Not the canine friend, rather, a culinary experience. Esa Reinreb, a 1983 mechanical engineering alumna, has used her engineering creativity […]

Equipment donation expands research capabilities in advanced manufacturing This academic year, one of the world’s leaders in metal additive manufacturing, Oerlikon AM donated an industry-grade metal additive manufacturing machine to William States Lee College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, demonstrating its continued commitment to research and discovery.  With this donation, the company and […]

Kyle VanHorn is fascinated by flight — particularly its associated speed, trajectory and control. So much so that he tailored his UNC Charlotte engineering education toward aeronautics. “I’m helping improve autonomous vehicle technology so drones can fly more efficiently,” said VanHorn, an Albert Scholar and Honors College student who is graduating in May 2025 with […]

Please join us on Thursday, March 27, 2025 from 11:30-12:30 as we welcome and listen to two professors from Florida International University (Miami, FL), Dr. Tero Kaarlela and Dr. Leonardo Bobadilla, hosted by Dr. Jose Outeiro. Dr. Kaarlela and Dr. Bobadilla will be talking about: Overcoming Sensing, Communication, and Uncertainty Challenges in Marine Robotics Using […]

We are delighted to welcome Professor Marcos Valério Ribeiro from Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil, as a visiting professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, of the William States Lee College of Engineering, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Prof. Valério Ribeiro is collaborating with Prof. Jose Outeiro and other colleagues from the […]