Department of Mechanical Engineering

Ultrafast pulsed lasers fuse ceramics under ambient conditions and use less than 50 watts of power

You’ve probably noticed the antenna-like towers and black tote cases that have appeared around the UC Riverside campus in recent weeks. Not surprisingly, they’ve prompted some questions. “Some people are curious,” said Ranga Rajan Thiruvenkatachari, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, who is part of the research team that set up the equipment. “Sometimes I see people stopping to see what’s happening.” It’s a question they get all the time, said Aaron Caddell, a senior mechanical engineering major, who is also part of the research team. The equipment went up in mid-July and will

Guillermo Aguilar , a professor and chair of mechanical engineering at UC Riverside’s Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering, was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering of Mexico at a ceremony held July 25 in Mexico City. The honor recognizes Aguilar’s contributions to mechanical and biomedical engineering, particularly in biomedical optics and lasers, and his pioneering work to develop a ceramic “ Window to the Brain ” in collaboration with colleagues in Mexico. Read More at Inside UCR

More than 1 billion motor vehicles travel roadways worldwide and that number is expected to double within one or two decades.  The rise in automobiles and trucks have led to increased social, economic, and safety issues, such as the more than 30,000 deaths from car related accidents on US highways every year, according to a US Department of Transportation (DOT)