Departmental News

UNC Charlotte hosted the 2026 AIAA Carolina Aerospace Symposium on February 21st at the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC), bringing together more than 80 participants from across North and South Carolina. Organized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the event highlighted the region’s growing strength in aerospace research, education, and industry […]

UNC Charlotte is proud to announce that Dr. Stuart Smith has been elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. This honor places Dr. Smith among an elite group of innovators whose work has made a lasting impact on society. He is the third […]

UNC Charlotte held its 10th annual Three‑Minute Thesis (3MT) competition on November 19, where 11 finalists advanced to the final round after more than 50 graduate students competed across five preliminary heats. The 3MT program challenges researchers to clearly communicate their work to a general audience in under three minutes using only a single static […]

Photo by Nigel Kinrade Photography

In addition to being home to the Center for Precision Metrology, a world-class research center, the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science in the W.S. Lee College of Engineering has unique academic offerings for students interested in precision engineering and metrology. This includes the undergraduate Concentration in Precision Engineering and Metrology, available to undergraduates […]

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 […]