Department of Mechanical Engineering
Academic Programs
Catalyze Your Career
Announcements
E.H. Yang Named Associated Editor-in-Chief of New IEEE Sensors Reviews Journal
E.H. Yang, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been named associate editor-in-chief of a new journal, IEEE Sensors Reviews. This new journal under the umbrella of the Institute of the Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) will publish papers in all areas of interest of the IEEE Sensors Council regarding devices for sensing and transducing physical, chemical and biological phenomena.
The associate editor-in-chief will play a pivotal role in shaping the journal's vision, ensuring the publication of high-quality, impactful content that reflects cutting-edge advancements in sensor technologies. The associate editor-in-chief will provide comprehensive insights, foster innovative perspectives and work closely with the editorial team to set the strategic direction of the journal. This leadership position requires a deep understanding of emerging trends in the field and a commitment to maintaining the journal’s excellence through rigorous editorial oversight and decision-making that drives its growth and influence in the academic and industrial communities.
A completely open-access technical journal, IEEE Sensors Reviews is built exclusively from papers on selected topics of current interest to the sensors community. Yang, along with the editor-in-chief, leads the editorial team. He is the only representative from an American college or university.
"The objective of this journal is to achieve a high impact factor, thereby maintaining a selective acceptance rate to enhance the journal's impact factor upon indexing," said Yang. "In collaboration with the IEEE Sensors Council, our goal is to attain an impact factor of at least 15.”
Visit the website at https://reviews.ieee-sensors.org/.
Nicholaus Parziale Receives $1.5 Million DOD Grant to Explore Cost-Effective Flight-Testing Methods
With space flight and other hypersonic technologies receiving ever-increasing attention these days, more and more testing is needed to ensure the success and safety of such complex and potentially dangerous endeavors. Because no single hypersonic wind tunnel can simulate all aspects of high-speed flight, the only real test is a flight test. These flight tests on hypersonic vehicles can be extremely expensive, however.
Motivated by this challenge, professor Bryan Schmidt, professor Steve Majerus (Case Western Reserve University, lead), and professor Nicholaus Parziale (Stevens Institute of Technology) are working on a project to explore new, alternative testing methods to reduce costs. The project is titled “Cost-Effective High-Speed Aerothermodynamics and Encounter Testing,” and it is a three-year, $1.5 million effort, in collaboration with Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).
The goal is to develop diagnostics and measurement capabilities to establish aerodynamic range testing as an alternative to flight testing, where scale models are launched at sea level at hypersonic speeds in a controlled environment. The final range testing will be performed using the electromagnetic railgun launchers at NSWCDD’s Hypersonic Integration & Test Facility. The project will use a combination of high-speed imaging diagnostics – specifically time-resolved shadowgraph/schlieren imaging and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) – and onboard sensors with telemetry.
E.H. Yang Receives U.S. Patent for Autonomous Oil Cleanup Aquatic Surface Vessel
E.H. Yang, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has received a United States patent for the invention of a surface robot designed to aid in cleaning up aquatic oil spills. The patent, titled “In Situ Oil Cleanup and Recovery Using Smart Polymer Integrated Surface Vessels,” was issued on Aug. 6, 2024 and will remain in effect through April 14, 2039. Fellow Mechanical Engineering professors Brendan Englot and Chang-Hwan Choi are co-inventors on the patent, as well as former faculty member Ron Besser.
This invention integrates smart membranes into a small, unmanned surface vessel to enable the efficient, automated cleanup of oil spills. Smart membranes are circulated on the surface of a conveyor belt through the surrounding body of water. Low-voltage commands across the conveyor built are designed to attract and repel oil while an internal reduction chamber releases the oil.
Yang’s idea for the invention is a low-cost and repeatable solution for oil cleanup that works particularly well in confined aquatic areas such as under piers and the small sections between piers and marine vessels. Persistent oil spillage from the petroleum industry from boats, marine installations and urban runoff accounts for approximately 350,000 barrels of oil spillage per year. Unlike current cleanup solutions, such as skimmers, which pump large volumes of oily water by hose into storage barges, Yang incorporates conjugated polymer surfaces into a small, untethered automated surface vessel, enabling efficient and continuous collection of oil from the water’s surface.
Shima Hajimirza Named Associated Editor for the Journal of Solar Energy Engineering
Shima Hajimirza, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, has been appointed as an associate editor for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Journal of Solar Energy Engineering – Including Wind Energy and Building Energy Conservation. Dr. Hajimirza co-edits the "Solar Optics, Metamaterials, and Scattering" section of the journal, and her three-year term began on Oct. 1, 2024.
A bimonthly publication that has existed since 1980, The ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering - Including Wind Energy and Building Energy Conservation - publishes research papers that contain original work of permanent interest in all areas of solar energy, wind energy and energy conservation, as well as discussions of policy and regulatory issues that affect renewable energy technologies and their implementation. The journal covers a variety of topics, including solar thermal power, solar chemistry and bioconversion, solar space applications, heating and cooling, and energy policy.
Hajimirza, an ASME Fellow, has been a faculty member at Stevens since 2020 and was promoted to associate professor in Fall 2024. In Spring 2024, she was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award for her project, “Precise Mathematical Modeling and Experimental Validation of Radiation Heat Transfer in Complex Porous Media Using Analytical Renewal Theory.” Dr. Hajimirza also serves as the director of the Energy Control and Optimization (ECO) Lab at Stevens.
Visit the journal’s website at https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/solarenergyengineering.
E.H. Yang Named Associated Editor-in-Chief of New IEEE Sensors Reviews Journal
E.H. Yang, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been named associate editor-in-chief of a new journal, IEEE Sensors Reviews. This new journal under the umbrella of the Institute of the Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) will publish papers in all areas of interest of the IEEE Sensors Council regarding devices for sensing and transducing physical, chemical and biological phenomena.
The associate editor-in-chief will play a pivotal role in shaping the journal's vision, ensuring the publication of high-quality, impactful content that reflects cutting-edge advancements in sensor technologies. The associate editor-in-chief will provide comprehensive insights, foster innovative perspectives and work closely with the editorial team to set the strategic direction of the journal. This leadership position requires a deep understanding of emerging trends in the field and a commitment to maintaining the journal’s excellence through rigorous editorial oversight and decision-making that drives its growth and influence in the academic and industrial communities.
A completely open-access technical journal, IEEE Sensors Reviews is built exclusively from papers on selected topics of current interest to the sensors community. Yang, along with the editor-in-chief, leads the editorial team. He is the only representative from an American college or university.
"The objective of this journal is to achieve a high impact factor, thereby maintaining a selective acceptance rate to enhance the journal's impact factor upon indexing," said Yang. "In collaboration with the IEEE Sensors Council, our goal is to attain an impact factor of at least 15.”
Visit the website at https://reviews.ieee-sensors.org/.
Nicholaus Parziale Receives $1.5 Million DOD Grant to Explore Cost-Effective Flight-Testing Methods
With space flight and other hypersonic technologies receiving ever-increasing attention these days, more and more testing is needed to ensure the success and safety of such complex and potentially dangerous endeavors. Because no single hypersonic wind tunnel can simulate all aspects of high-speed flight, the only real test is a flight test. These flight tests on hypersonic vehicles can be extremely expensive, however.
Motivated by this challenge, professor Bryan Schmidt, professor Steve Majerus (Case Western Reserve University, lead), and professor Nicholaus Parziale (Stevens Institute of Technology) are working on a project to explore new, alternative testing methods to reduce costs. The project is titled “Cost-Effective High-Speed Aerothermodynamics and Encounter Testing,” and it is a three-year, $1.5 million effort, in collaboration with Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).
The goal is to develop diagnostics and measurement capabilities to establish aerodynamic range testing as an alternative to flight testing, where scale models are launched at sea level at hypersonic speeds in a controlled environment. The final range testing will be performed using the electromagnetic railgun launchers at NSWCDD’s Hypersonic Integration & Test Facility. The project will use a combination of high-speed imaging diagnostics – specifically time-resolved shadowgraph/schlieren imaging and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) – and onboard sensors with telemetry.
Learn About Our Research
Mechanical engineering department research efforts focus on interdisciplinary research in areas such as nanotechnology, sustainable engineering, robotics, and biomechanics.
STEM Outreach at the Schaefer School
The Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science is dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and math education and enrichment at all levels. Our numerous STEM outreach and education programs are designed to instill a love of science and technology in both teachers and students from K - 12 throughout the New York and New Jersey area, and beyond.
We're Hiring
The Department of Mechanical Engineering is hiring for multiple faculty positions in broad areas of mechanical engineering at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor rank. Learn more about our available positions and apply.
Department News
Upcoming Seminars and Events
Department Leadership
Meet the faculty and staff leading the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Find contact information for department administrators, academic advisors and more.
