The Mechanical Engineering (ME) graduate program within the College of Engineering at the University of Iowa emphasizes in-depth learning and research. In collaboration with faculty across campus, the faculty are currently researching a diverse range of topics within the field. Select a link below to explore the work being done in that area.
- Design & Uncertainty Quantification
- Fluid Dynamics
- Heat Transfer & Combustion
- Manufacturing & Materials
- Robotics, Controls & Autonomous Systems
- Solid Mechanics & Multibody Dynamics
Design & Uncertainty Quantification
The Design and Uncertainty Quantification focus area is concerned with design optimization of complex mechanical systems in the presence of uncertainty. The focus area emphasizes developments of sound theoretical foundation, novel computational methods and algorithms, and modern software tools aimed at creating state-of-the-art engineering design of automotive, aerospace, naval, nuclear, and biomedical systems. Current areas of excellence include artificial muscles and smart materials design, ship hydrodynamics, design sensitivity analysis, uncertainty quantification, and reliability-based design optimization.
Associated Faculty: Caterina Lamuta, Sharif Rahman, Frederick Stern
Associated Research Centers, Institutes, Programs: AMCS, IIHR, ITI
The Fluid Dynamics focus area covers a wide variety of topics with flow of liquids and gases as the common denominator. The graduate program in Fluid Dynamics emphasizes fundamental principles and applications, and the numerical and experimental techniques used to obtain and analyze fluid flows. Areas of concentration include Computational Fluid Dynamics, Experimental Fluid Dynamics, medical flows, naval hydrodynamics, biologically-inspired air and underwater vehicles, multiphase flows, cavitation and ventilation, fluid-structure interaction and turbulence, among others.
Associated Faculty: James Buchholz, Casey Harwood, Ching-Long Lin, Frederick Stern, H.S. Udaykumar
Associated Research Centers, Institutes, Programs: AMCS, EHRSC, IIBI, IIHR, NANOTECH
The Heat Transfer and Combustion focus area applies to real-world systems in manufacturing and materials processing, propulsion, energy production etc. The graduate program emphasizes fundamental principles and techniques required for experimental and theoretical research. Current areas of research include solidification of materials, metal casting, 3D printing, laser-materials interaction, power plants and propulsion devices such as automobile and aircraft engines, energy conservation and production, energy storage, complex reactive materials, and machine learning in computational modeling and simulation.
Associated Faculty: Christoph Beckermann, Albert Ratner, H.S. Udaykumar
Associated Research Centers, Institutes, Programs: IIHR, ITI
The Manufacturing & Materials focus area involves fundamental materials processing science, technological advancement in manufacturing applications, and development of new manufacturing processes and new material functions. Current and emerging thrust areas include solidification, metal casting, laser materials processing, micro and nanofabrication, joining, ultrasonic welding, machining, microstructure evolution, manufacturing process modeling and simulation, artificial muscles, artificial camouflage, smart materials as well as material characterizations. These research activities are well supported bu federal and state agencies and by manufacturing industry.
Associated Faculty: Christoph Beckermann, Hongtao Ding, Caterina Lamuta
Associated Research Centers, Institutes, Programs: ITI, IIHR
Robotics, Controls & Autonomous Systems
Robotics, Controls and Autonomous Systems (RCAS) are concerned with the modeling, analysis, design, and control of dynamic systems. The graduate program in RCAS emphasizes fundamental principles and techniques of robotics, control theory, and artificial intelligence. Areas of concentration include computational intelligence, dynamic autonomous systems, cyber-physical systems, and networked robotic systems, with potential applications in self-driving cars, medical and assistive robots for surgery and rehabilitation, industrial co-robots for human-robot collaboration, unmanned aerial, ground, and underwater vehicles.
Associated Faculty: Venanzio Cichella, Shaoping Xiao, Rachel Vitali, Deema Totah
Associated Research Centers, Institutes, Programs: AMCS, ITI, NADS, NANOTECH, UI3, IIHR
Solid Mechanics & Multibody Dynamics
Solid Mechanics and Multibody Dynamics are concerned with the behavior of solid materials and flexible bodies, especially their deformation, motion, and stress responses under the action of applied loads. The graduate program in Solid Mechanics and Multibody Dynamics emphasizes the theoretical foundations and problem-solving techniques for engineering applications. Current research focuses of the faculty include multiscale mechanics of materials, biomechanics, vehicle dynamics, computational mechanics, multibody dynamics, and optimization.
Associated Faculty: Jia Lu, Sharif Rahman, Hiroyuki Sugiyama, Shaoping Xiao, Rachel Vitali
Associated Research Centers, Institutes, Programs: AMCS, ITI, NANOTECH, UI3