Sharing our research victories
Greetings , colleagues .
AZIM ESKANDARIAN
Department Head , and Nicholas and Rebecca Des Champs Chair / Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
It is always a pleasure to report good things happening , which I feel is especially true during this season . As we continue to hope for returning to normalcy after COVID-19 , I am thrilled to share with you more stories of exciting research and discovery in our department and through our national collaborations . Please browse through this issue of Momentum magazine ; I promise you will be amazed by the depth , breadth , and diversity of scholarship brilliance of our faculty and students .
Through a large National Science Foundation grant , Professors Alex Leonessa from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Divya Srinivasan from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering have joined forces with the University of Florida and an industry partner to develop a novel full-body experience in a fully electronic environment . Their creative work will shape the future of virtual reality in both science and entertainment . Please read about this fantastic cover page story on page 26 .
Much of our published research take cues from nature to increase the strength of manufactured materials . It is always fascinating to see how our faculty translate the natural world ’ s ingenuity into innovative engineered materials . Pages 12 and 18 will be great places to read about that .
Assistant Professor Ling Li is part of a collaborative effort with Princeton University , sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research ( AFOSR ), to determine design strategies modeled from an ancient group of birds ’ eggshells . These natural structures have a high potential for many applications , including structural components for air vehicles . In another study published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , Dr . Li ’ s research team focused on the cuttlefish , another species traveling in the ocean ’ s depths . His team discovered the unique underlying microstructures that give cuttlebone the high-performance mechanical properties to be extremely lightweight , stiff , and damage-tolerant , despite the shell ’ s composition mostly of brittle aragonite , a crystal form of calcium carbonate .
Elsewhere , our faculty are working to bring increased safety to nuclear power plants , make pedestrian foot traffic more harmonious with electric cars , engineer natural approaches to antiperspirants , and more . You will also read about a 2017 grad who has flourished in the world of industry , fueled by the rich experiences of the Senior Design program within our department .
I am grateful for your continued support and attention to our Department . I hope you are well and that you are also enjoying your successes in these unusual and challenging times .
With best regards , Azim Eskandarian