News & EventsDepartment News
EventsNews & Events
Mechanical Engineering Faculty and Students Continue Earning Major Honors
Faculty and students received national and international awards recognizing research, leadership, and innovation.Oct 29, 2026
Getting to Know New Chair Sinan Keten
In a Q&A, Keten discusses his vision for the department, including opportunities in embodied AI and space and extreme environments, and his focus on collaboration across the department’s core strengths.Oct 28, 2026
Moving Fluids with Electric Fields: Sandip Ghosal’s New Book Explores Fluid Control at the Micro and Nanoscale
Electroosmotic Flow and Transport offers a comprehensive theoretical framework for controlling microscale and nanoscale fluid dynamics using electric fields.Oct 27, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
Matthew Elwin Named Assistant Dean for Master’s Programs
Elwin brings his experience in robotics education to a new role on the school’s leadership team.Oct 23, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
Tao Sun Selected for TMS Brimacombe Medal
The award recognizes mid-career individuals with sustained excellence and achievement in business, technology, education, public policy, or science related to materials science and engineering and with a record of continuing service to the profession.Oct 15, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
Jian Cao Elected an Asian American Academy of Science and Engineering Fellow
Cao earned the honor that recognizes Asian American researchers across numerous fields who represent exceptional achievement.Oct 13, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
Professor Emeritus John Rudnicki Passes Away
Rudnicki, who was 75, will be remembered for transforming the understanding of how deformation, diffusion, and shear heating interact during earthquakes.Oct 6, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
Northwestern Engineering Names Winners of 2026 Cole-Higgins Awards
Gina Fong, Branden Ghena, Colin Hisey, and Suzanne Olds received teaching awards, while Greg Wagner earned the advising award.Sep 28, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
Renewables or Nuclear? Professor Elmer Lewis Weighs the Future of Clean Energy
In a Q&A, Lewis examines the promises—and limitations—of the competing paths to a carbon-free grid.Sep 23, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
Professor Emeritus Isaac M. Daniel Passes Away
Daniel, who was 92, will be remembered for his role in the development of modern composite-materials engineering and contributions to the literature in his research fields.Sep 10, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
Michael Rubenstein Selected for Chief of Naval Research Fellowship
Launched this year, the program brings highly accomplished academic researchers into the naval science and technology enterprise, giving them the opportunity to apply their expertise to critical US Navy and US Marine Corps challenges.Aug 21, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
AI-Designed Drone ‘Phantom Twist’ Spins Fast Enough to Fool the Eye
Reuters reported on researchers using AI to design a drone that is far less visible in flight, exploiting motion blur rather than camouflage to make the aircraft appear as a faint haze.Jul 23, 2026|from Reuters
Michael Rubenstein Selected for NIAC Fellowship
Rubenstein will develop the concept of satellite swarms to explore the rings of Saturn.Jul 22, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
Atomic Structure Insights Improve Metal 3D Printing Control
Using real-time X-rays, Professor Tao Sun revealed how liquid metal structure shapes grain formation during 3D printing.Jul 21, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News
New Spinning Drone Hides in Plain Sight
By exploiting the quirks of human vision, Professors Michael Rubenstein, Emma Alexander, and Sam Kriegman designed a drone that nearly disappears right before the eyes.Jul 16, 2026|from Northwestern Engineering News