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Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

time-lapse image from a video shows a manta-shaped soft robot swimming over and under obstacles in a glass tank filled with water

Dec 5, 2024

Manta rays inspire the fastest swimming soft robot yet

A team of researchers has drawn inspiration from manta rays and beaten its own record for the fastest swimming soft robot. 

An AI-generated image depicting the intricacies of nanotechnology with clear and spherical molecules.

Nov 13, 2024

Creating a brand-new class of materials

NC State researchers have created a new class of materials called “glassy gels” that possess properties that could make them an alternative to certain plastics commonly used in today’s products. 

The 2024 DEA recipients, from left: Lane Ross Miller, Tracy B. Doaks and Tony McLean Brown.

Nov 6, 2024

Brown, Doaks and Miller receive 2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award

Three College of Engineering graduates — Tony McLean Brown, Tracy B. Doaks and Lane Ross Miller — received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni (DEA) Award during a dinner and ceremony on campus on Oct. 30, 2024, as part of Red and White Week. 

Two gamers compete beneath a large video display of their game.

Oct 30, 2024

NC State Esports hits the big time at Duke’s Mayo Classic

The Duke’s Mayo Classic football game, which pitted NC State versus #11 Tennessee on September 7, went very poorly for the Wolfpack, which lost 51-10. But it went a lot better for NC State’s Ethan Jamroz, a second-year Aerospace Engineering student, who earned the right to compete in the EA Sports College Football activation at the game’s… 

An image of a structure made of plastic cubes connected by hinges and tiny motors.

Oct 10, 2024

Researchers create shape-shifting ‘transformer bots’

Using 3D printing, the researchers engineered a cubed structure made of plastic that can transform into more than 1,000 configurations. 

A shot of NC State's Belltower centered in front of a partly cloudy blue sky, with the Belltower partially obscured by green leafy trees and pink and white spring foliage. The shot is taken from underneath a brick awning, and one of the awning's brick columns dominates the frame to the right of the Belltower. A hanging lantern-style light can be seen near the center-top.

Oct 8, 2024

Engineering alumni among new members of NC State Board of Visitors

Meet four new members of NC State’s Board of Visitors who will serve four-year terms as advocates of the university’s educational mission. 

Whil Piavis, AKA The Pirate Captain, watches a sporting event from the stands in Reynolds Coliseum

Sep 20, 2024

A Pirate (Captain) looks at Forty

Whil Piavis (Mechanical Engineering ’07), AKA “The Pirate Captain,” made international headlines when he and his “Scurvy Crew” hijacked the 2005 student body presidential election. Ironically, he is now a cybersecurity expert. 

Campus gateway sign reading NC State University

Sep 17, 2024

Horn awarded DARPA Director’s Fellowship for additive manufacturing research

An associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University has been awarded the highly selective Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Director’s Fellowship. 

Wolf Plaza during fall. Two bronze sculptures of wolves, one head down, the other howling.

Aug 27, 2024

Co-op program prepares students for successful careers through real-world experience

The NC State Career Development Center’s Co-op Program takes immense pride in the accomplishments of our students. The co-op program is designed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world experience, preparing students for successful careers.