Graduate School

Graduate SchoolFields of Study

Mechanical Engineering

Field Description

The program emphasizes basic mechanical sciences to prepare students for the diversity found at the frontiers of research and industrial development. The faculty is particularly strong and active in biomechanical engineering, fluid dynamics, turbulence, combustion, thermal systems engineering, multiphase flows, energy and power systems, transport processes in microgravity, mechanical systems and design, control and robotics, dynamics and control of space structures, mechanics of materials and materials processing, materials microgravity sciences and computational mechanics.

The Ph.D. programs provide advanced levels of training suitable for students pursuing careers in research and development, education, or advanced engineering analysis and design. The field does not admit students into an M.S.-only degree program; applicants may apply for the Ph.D. program directly from a bachelor's degree. Doctoral degree candidates must take a qualifying examination in addition to the examinations required by the Graduate School. Teaching experience for two semesters, normally satisfied by a teaching assistantship, is required of Ph.D. students.

The professional degree of Master of Engineering (Mechanical) provides a one-year course of study for those who want to develop a high level of competence in current technology and engineering design and who plan to practice engineering in industry or professionally. The program has a thirty-credit curriculum and requires an engineering design project.
Though the M.Eng. curriculum is flexible, many students choose to specialize within one of the the following MAE focus areas:

The formal requirements for obtaining an M.Eng. degree are outlined here. The M.Eng. degree is typically self-funded by the student. There are a handful of fellowships at the college level (typically one per field, or one out of ~80 students). There is also partial support as a TA for a small percentage of students.

Application:
Applicants should hold a bachelor's degree in engineering or the physical sciences. All applicants must submit GRE general test scores. Submission of GRE subject test scores in engineering, mathematics, or physics is strongly recommended. Admission is offered only for the fall semester, except in unusual cases. A field brochure is available on request from the graduate field office.

Contact Information

Website: https://www.mae.cornell.edu/mae
Email: maephd@cornell.edu
Phone: 607 255-5250

107 Upson Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853

Data and Statistics

Doctoral Program Statistics

Subject and Degrees

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering (M.Eng.) (Ithaca)
Mechanical Engineering (M.S.) (Ithaca)
Mechanical Engineering (Ph.D.) (Ithaca)

Concentrations by Subject

Mechanical Engineering

biomedical mechanics
biomedical mechanics
dynamics and control
dynamics and control
energy and sustainability
energy and sustainability
fluid dynamics
fluid dynamics
micro- and nanoscale engineering
micro- and nanoscale engineering
solid mechanics and materials
solid mechanics and materials
thermal science
thermal science

Faculty

John David Albertson

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: the development of a comprehensive understanding of the exchange rates of mass (e.g. water and C02), energy, and momentum between the land and atmosphere

Nelly Andarawis-Puri

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics
Research Interests: the structural and regulatory function of the tendon ECM

C. Thomas Avedisian

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: heat transfer; fluid mechanics; combustion

Shefford P Baker

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; micro- and nanoscale engineering; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: mechanical behavior of materials for structural, nano-scale, and biological applications

Rebecca Jane Barthelmie

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: Wind energy resources and wind turbine wakes within and downwind of large wind farms both on- and offshore

Nicole Ann Benedek

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: computational/theoretical materials science, materials physics and chemistry, functional materials

Gregory Paul Bewley

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: turbulence, both its intrinsic properties and its role in various environmental settings

Lawrence Bonassar

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: generation and characterization of muscoloskeletal tissues; mechanical regulation of cartilage

Nikolaos Bouklas

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: theoretical and computational solid mechanics

Jonathan T. Butcher

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; dynamics and control; fluid dynamics; micro- and nanoscale engineering; solid mechanics and materials; thermal science
Research Interests: bimechanics; tissue engineering; biomaterials

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: space systems; estimation and control; autonomy in aerospace systems; controlled structures

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; solid mechanics and materials; Mechanical Engineering: fluid dynamics
Research Interests: colloidal suspensions; biological tissues

Lance R Collins

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: turbulence physics; combustion; aerosol coagulation and breakup dynamics; polymer drag reduction

Edwin Alfred Cowen

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: fluid dynamics
Research Interests: environmental fluid mechanics

Harold Gene Craighead

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: micro- and nanoscale engineering
Research Interests: studies of microfluidics and micro/nanomechanical systems

Paul Richard Dawson

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: material processing; plasticity; micromechanics; computational mechanics

Olivier Desjardins

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: Computational Fluid Dynamics

Peter J. Diamessis

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: fluid dynamics
Research Interests: environmental fluid mechanics; numerical simulation of stratified flows; modeling turbulence; interaction of hydrodynamics and biology in natural ecosystems

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: microstructure-property relationships in bone and tendon; disease and treatment; induced changes in the properties of bone mineral and collagen; connections between fundamental properties and clinical impact

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; micro- and nanoscale engineering; thermal science
Research Interests: micro/nanofluidics; optical fluidics; labs-on-a-chip; nanoscale integration; single nuckotide polymorphisms

Mahdi Esmaily Moghadam

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: fluid dynamics
Research Interests: development of computational techniques related to cardiovascular mechanics and biological flows

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: Design and analysis of methods and algorithms for computational intelligence and sensorimotor learning and control

Elizabeth Mills Fisher-York

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; thermal science
Research Interests: combustion; combustion chemistry

Albert Richard George

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: acoustics; automotive engineering; fluid mechanics; aerodynamics; fluid dynamics

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; micro- and nanoscale engineering
Research Interests: optoelectronic properties of semiconductor nanocrystals; solar energy conversion and energy storage devices

Christopher J. Hernandez

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: orthopaedic biomechanics; solid mechanics imaging

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: human-robot interaction

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: fracture mechanics; mechanics of materials

Anthony R Ingraffea

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: computational and experimental fracture mechanics

James Thomas Jenkins

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; fluid dynamics; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: continuum mechanics; biomechanics; mechanics of granular material

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: computer-supported cooperative work; teamwork emotion;human-robot interaction and design

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; micro- and nanoscale engineering; thermal science
Research Interests: micro- and nanofluidics; microbioanalytical devices; laser microfabrication; interface science

Ross A. Knepper

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: The algorithmic aspects of advanced factory automation, enabling autonomous robots to function safely and comprehensibly alongside humans in environments structured for people.

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; micro- and nanoscale engineering; thermal science
Research Interests: particulate and multiphase flows; colloids and aerosols; non-continuum gas flows

Hadas Kress-Gazit

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: autonomous systems; hybrid systems; control; robotics

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: micro- and nanoscale engineering
Research Interests: Developing concepts and technologies leading to integrated microsystems using micro and nanoscale fabrication techniques.

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics
Research Interests: Developing and applying novel experimental techniques to investigate this important interplay between cellular structure and function, with a particular emphasis on the cell nucleus.

Michel Yves Louge

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: gas-solid flows; fluidized beds; gas-solid flow instrumentation; dielectric properties of snow, granular segregation; experiments in microgravity

Douglas MacMartin

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: dynamics, feedback analysis, control design primarily related to climate science

Natalie M. Mahowald

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics
Research Interests: interaction between climate and biogeochemistry through aerosols

Matthew Peter Miller

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: experimentally based material model development; effect of processing on properties

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: micro- and nanoscale engineering; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: advanced materials and manufacturing, synthesizing novel high-performance materials

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: dynamics and control; spacecraft design; systems engineering

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: Computational Fluid Dynamics

Kirstin Hagelskjaer Petersen

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: design & coordination of large robot collectives able to achieve complex behaviors; swarm intelligence; embodied intelligence; autonomous construction

Stephen Bailey Pope

Campus: Ithaca - (Graduate School Professor)
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: combustion; fluid mechanics; turbulence; numerical methods; aerospace propulsion

Richard Herbert Rand

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: nonlinear dynamics; biomechanics

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; dynamics and control; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: biomechanics; dynamics; robotics; solid mechanics

Dmitry Savransky

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: Estimation and control theory; computer vision and machine learning applications for automated optical system alignment and image processing; optimal scheduling for autonomous space observatories; and statistical analysis of astronomical data sets

Ashutosh Saxena

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: robotics; machine learning; perception

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control
Research Interests: Systems engineering and architecture with emphasis on space systems: global optimization, multi-agent systems, machine learning, and knowledge-based systems

Robert Shepherd

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: dynamics and control; micro- and nanoscale engineering
Research Interests: Soft Robotics, Material Intelligence for Control Systems, Microcombustion for actuation, and Concentrated particle flow through micronozzles.

Meredith Silberstein

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: polymer physics, mechanochemistry, micromechanical experiments and modeling, continuum mechanics

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; fluid dynamics; micro- and nanoscale engineering; Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics
Research Interests: Engineering of biomaterials-based platforms for cell and immune modulation, cell-biomaterial interactions, cell adhesion, stem cell engineering, and vaccines.

Paul Herman Steen

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: fluid dynamics; thermal science

Abraham Duncan Stroock

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; micro- and nanoscale engineering; thermal science
Research Interests: microfluidics; biomedical engineering; transport phenomena; colloid science

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; micro- and nanoscale engineering; solid mechanics and materials; thermal science; Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; micro- and nanoscale engineering; thermal science
Research Interests: micro/nanoscale heat transfer, thermal energy conversion and storage thermal management, multiscale thermal transport in organic, inorganic and hybrid materials

Marjolein van der Meulen

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: biomedical mechanics; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: orthopedic biomechanics; skeletal functional adaptation; bone structural behavior; mechanics of musculoskeletal tissues

Zheng Jane Wang

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: fluid dynamics
Research Interests: biological fluid dynamics; scientific computing and modeling; statistical physics

Zellman Warhaft

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: experimental fluid mechanics; turbulence; micrometeorology; fundamental vortex interactions

Derek H. Warner

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: Illuminating and modeling the underlying physical mechanisms that control the failure of engineering materials.

Charles Harvey Kaye Williamson

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics
Research Interests: fluid dynamics; aircraft vortex instabilities; vortex-induced vibration; wakes; turbulence; fundamental vortex interaction

Alan Taylor Zehnder

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: micro- and nanoscale engineering; solid mechanics and materials
Research Interests: fracture and fatigue; experimental mechanics; metal cutting; mechanics of materials

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: energy and sustainability; fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: air pollution; environmental nanoparticles; transportation and air quality; energy systems; climate changes

Campus: Ithaca
Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering: fluid dynamics; thermal science
Research Interests: fluid mechanics, suspension mechanics, complex fluids, micro hydro dynamics, rheology