Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania

This Month in MEAM: behind-the-scenes of a doctoral student studying the intersection of electromagnetism and fluids, the Fall 2024 Tedori-Callinan Lecture by Gareth McKinley on fluid friction reduction and a recent PNAS paper on the properties of baseball's magic mud.

"The river, in essence, is an indicator of how we treat our environment. If you want to get a diagnosis of the health of our landscape, go to the river. That’s where everything ends up," says Doug Jerolmack, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Endowed Term Professor of Earth & Environmental Science and Professor in MEAM in a recent article from Penn Today. The course, Rivers in A Changing World, taught alongside LaRon Smith, a ninth-grade science teacher at William L. Sayre High School, uses environmental science and engineering to address climate change and encourage students to play an active role in their environment. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g4bvTeyM

Congratulations Parker LaMascus for successfully defending his doctoral dissertation, "Tribosintering of Metal Oxide Nanocrystals," working under the guidance of Robert Carpick, John Henry Towne Professor in MEAM. LaMascus investigated metal oxide nanocrystals as innovative lubricant additives, addressing critical challenges in mechanical system protection. "Machinery relies on lubrication to regulate friction and wear at contacting interfaces," he explains. "As lubricants become less viscous to save energy and cost, and as new technologies like electric vehicles operate in harsher conditions, the risk of surface-initiated failure grows." LaMascus emphasizes that a PhD's true goal is personal transformation. "The most important question is: what manner of researcher ought you become?" Read more: https://lnkd.in/eD73Ytgr

Congratulations Jessica Yin for successfully defending her dissertation, "Exploring Multimodal Sensing Across the Stack for Robot Manipulation" under the guidance of Mark Yim, Asa Whitney Professor of Mechanical Engineering and James Pikul, Adjunct Associate Professor in MEAM and Leon and Elizabeth Janssen Associate Professor at the University of Madison-Wisconsin. The dissertation focused on three key areas: designing selectively transmissive membranes for proximity depth sensing, developing sensor fusion techniques for enhanced perception, and bridging the reality gap in robotic policy learning through tactile skin modeling. These studies revealed complex sensory integration mechanisms, demonstrating how multimodal approaches can provide robust solutions to robotic manipulation challenges. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ev9FMh3z

Congratulations Yichao Shi for successfully defending his doctoral dissertation “Coupling Hard and Soft Interfaces to Realize Actuators and Energy Sources that Bring Robots Towards Animal Mobility” under the advisory of James Pikul. Shi’s work investigated metal-air battery technologies—an innovative approach to addressing mobile robotics’ power limitations through bio-inspired energy generation. By exploring aluminum-based energy conversion, the research expanded understanding of how alternative power sources can transform robotic capabilities across remote operations, extended-range missions, and challenging environments. Shi will continue his scientific pursuits as a postdoctoral fellow in Pikul’s research group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to conduct research in energy storage and actuators. 🎉 Read more about Shi's work here: https://lnkd.in/eMWfF_WD

The Penn Community Collaboratory for Co-Creation (Penn4C) 2nd Annual Awardee event celebrated three award-winning projects that highlight the use of technology to address health and social justice challenges in marginalized communities. Penn4C, a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Penn Engineering, fosters solutions that connect technology with community needs. Two of this year’s awardees focus on AI-driven solutions. "Developing an AI Companion Prototype for Homebound Adults" aims to reduce loneliness among older adults through a personalized AI companion. This project is led by Marypat Tracy (Executive Director, Connectedly), Lea Ann Matura (Nursing), Insup Lee (Penn Computer and Information Science, Electrical and Systems Engineering, PRECISE Center), and Oleg Sokolsky (CIS, PRECISE Center). "Building a Virtual AI Platform for Finger Exercise" seeks to improve exercise accessibility for older adults with disabilities using AI technology. This project is led by Rose Richardson (Executive Director, LCFS’s West Philadelphia Senior Community Center), Jianghong Liu (Nursing), and Jianbo Shi (CIS). Congratulations to all the awardees for their achievements, and special thanks to Mark Yim (CIS, ESE, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania) and Sevile Mannickarottu (Director, Penn Engineering Entrepreneurship) for their leadership and support.

Congratulations to Jeffrey Babin on being named Technical.ly Philly’s 2024 Educator of the Year. As Professor of Practice and Associate Director of Penn Engineering's Entrepreneurship Program (EENT), Babin fosters innovation and leadership while mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurial thinkers. He is also the advisor for the Venture Lab's Venture Initiation Program, Entrepreneurship Strand Leader, and technology strategy instructor at the Graduate School of Education (GSE). A dedicated professor and passionate mentor, Babin’s impact on students and startups alike makes him truly deserving of this honor. Read more about the award: https://bit.ly/3CJaJuO Penn Engineering Entrepreneurship University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

This week, we invited Benjamin Gould from The Chemours Company for a talk on “Can Materials From the 1930’s Really Revolutionize Battery Manufacturing?” This seminar discussed the unique property of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to undergo room-temperature, sheer-induced structural transformations called "fibrillation", which enables the creation of complex composites with unique applications, particularly in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Gould is a Senior Principal Materials Scientist at Chemours Company, previously spending 8 years at Argonne National Laboratory, with expertise in polymer recycling, battery manufacturing, hydrogen economy materials, and in-situ materials structural changes, working across domains like wind energy, electric vehicles, and metal additive manufacturing. He was invited by Robert Carpick, John Henry Towne Professor, as part of the MEAM Seminar Series.

Through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program (PURM), Ngaatendwe Manyika (MEAM ’27) discovered that research isn’t just about solving complex problems—it’s also about connection and personal growth. In the program, Manyika explored nanotechnology for water filtration under the mentorship of Dr. Marija D., the Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics. In addition to Dr. Drndić’s guidance, Manyika learned from her peers, who shared insights into research, prioritization, and even Chinatown dining spots. "After ten weeks, the most essential skills I’ll continue to cultivate are sociability and humor," she said. "Being light-hearted and open has sparked new interests and strengthened friendships." https://bit.ly/3OhpR5f

Meet Sindu Shanmugadas, a third-year doctoral candidate working at the intersection of electromagnetism and fluids in Haim Bau's microfluidics lab. Sindu shares what makes Penn Engineering unique – including integrating teaching into our curriculum, which she specifically sought out: "I actually wanted a school that had TAing as a requirement because it's not something that would be taking time away from my research because it's actually built into the program." 📅 Applications for doctoral opportunities in MEAM close December 16, 2024! Click here to learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/eGa7kCaZ 🎥 Watch the full video: https://lnkd.in/etZr9eHn