Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

The Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS) has a strong local, national, and international reputation as a premier teaching and research institution.

Our faculty place a high importance on teaching, encouraging students to think critically and to establish a sound knowledgebase for future success. Many of the faculty are world-renowned researchers who are well positioned to bring the latest technological advances to the classroom.

The department has over 40 primary faculty members whose expertise spans across a broad range of topics, including advanced manufacturing and design, energy and power technology, soft matter and solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, computational and data-enabled engineering, smart materials and systems, controls, acoustics, and nano-technology. You can learn more about some of our faculty members through our faculty spotlight series.

$16M
Research Expenditures
600+
Undergraduate Students
220+
Graduate Students
3
Major Disciplines

News

Swanson School of Engineering Recognizes Timothy Knavish as Its 2026 Distinguished Alumnus in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering

Swanson School of Engineering Recognizes Timothy Knavish as Its 2026 Distinguished Alumnus in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering

On March 25, the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering held its annual Distinguished Alumni Banquet at...

CMU Honors Alumnus and Pitt Distinguished Professor Peyman Givi

CMU Honors Alumnus and Pitt Distinguished Professor Peyman Givi

Carnegie Mellon University has honored the University of Pittsburgh’s Peyman Givi with a Carnegie Tech 2026 Alumni...

Designing Transparent Armor

Designing Transparent Armor

Using a technique inspired by kirigami, the Japanese art of paper cutting, engineers at the University of Pittsburgh...

From Research to Real-World Testing

From Research to Real-World Testing

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the University of Pittsburgh’s Cyber Energy Center Phase Two...

Transforming the Ties That Bind

Transforming the Ties That Bind

Connecting unlike materials such as titanium with nickel can pose a unique engineering challenge, especially if the...

Events

Apr 02

MEMS Department Graduate Seminar - Dr. Farhi

2025-2026 ANSYS Distinguished Lecture Dr. Edward Farhi Principal Scientist, Google More information to come. ...

Apr 09

MEMS Department Graduate Seminar - Dr. Han

Dr. Bumsoo Han Professor University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign Host: Sung Kwon Cho More information to...

Apr 11

First-Year Engineering Conference

Friends and family are invited to see their first-year engineering students present their semester-long papers for a...

Apr 23

Swanson School of Engineering Design Expo

Students display their semester-long capstone projects while industry judges evaluate their work. Top placing teams...

May 01

Swanson School of Engineering Graduate Commencement

A ceremony recognizing MS and PhD students from all 6 departments within the Swanson School of Engineering.

May 01

Order of the Engineer

The Order of the Engineer began in 1970 as a way “to foster a spirit of pride and responsibility...