The Department
Welcome to the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics (MEM) at Lehigh University, part of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science (RCEAS). Mechanical Engineering is one of the broadest engineering professions, dealing generally with systems for energy conversion, material transport, and the control of motions and forces.
Topics
The programs in our department are designed to prepare students for satisfying and productive careers in a wide variety of fields. Some of the topics studied in this discipline include solid and fluid mechanics, engineering materials, product design and manufacturing, thermodynamics, and control systems. Our professors, renowned for their research, provide world-class instruction and access to research opportunities and independent study projects.
Experiences
Our department offers students a comprehensive education grounded in the fundamentals of the discipline while incorporating invaluable hands-on experience opportunities. The manufacturing course required of all juniors exemplifies our practical approach to education. Using sophisticated engineering tools, teams of MEM students collaborate each year with local middle school students to design, simulate, and fabricate a manufactured product. In recent years the teams created plastic matchbox racecars using the department’s computer aided design (CAD) software, rapid prototyping facilities, computer-controlled milling equipment, and injection-molding machines. The course culminates with an annual expo, in which the students compete and are judged on product design and effectiveness.
Another course emphasizing hands-on experiences is one of the various technical electives offered – Advanced Mechanics of Materials. Part of the Aerospace Minor curriculum, this course focuses on strength, stiffness, and stability of mechanical components and structures. Using the department’s advanced finite element analysis (FEA) program, teams of students endeavor to design an airfoil with high torsional stiffness. At the end of the semester, the constructed airfoils are tested in the Wind Tunnel Lab, and the design with the least torsional displacement from the leading edge to the trailing edge at the highest airspeed wins.
With the guidance of exceptional faculty members and access to the department's state-of-the-art facilities, students receive a complete educational experience from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Lehigh University.
