Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Celebrates Centennial with Alumni Events, Student Design Projects

Mechanical engineering began at Rutgers in 1908, originally occupying Murray Hall on the College Avenue Campus. During the early 1960s, the department moved to larger quarters on the Busch Campus. Aerospace engineering was added in 1965, and today mechanical and aerospace engineering is the largest department in the Rutgers School of Engineering, with 450 undergraduate students, 100 graduate students and 30 full-time faculty members.

Noted for its research in energy, computational design and structural engineering, the department has laboratories for robotics, manufacturing, biomechanics, laser imaging and materials testing. It also has a supersonic wind tunnel for aeronautical engineering research.

The department’s early focus was to equip engineers to drive the country’s industrial growth, especially in the areas of manufacturing and transportation technologies. It continues to support these fields while also addressing green energy, micro- and nano-machines, biomedical devices and advanced materials.

An agenda for the celebration can be viewed on the department's website. Assemblyman Chivukula plans to address attendees at a Friday evening reception at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum.

The centennial celebration will include the annual senior design project exhibition, which showcases engineering solutions to everyday needs or technical challenges designed by Rutgers mechanical and aerospace engineering students. The projects cover work done in a yearlong course for graduating seniors.