Mechanical Engineering

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2018-19 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu.

Overview

The Department of Mechanical Engineering's research projects are primarily funded by the National Science Foundation, governmental agencies, and the many industries located around Berkeley and in the Silicon Valley. In this dynamic environment, students find themselves well positioned with job offers and exciting career opportunities throughout the United States, as well as worldwide.

In the new millennium, the field of mechanical engineering has entered a particularly vital era. The "information age," born in the last century, has already affected every aspect of the discipline and, without a doubt, revolutionized the field of mechanical engineering.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, mechanical engineers designed and worked with large rotating machines. Today, work spans all areas of energy production and transfer, as well as the vast area of system design and control. A survey of the faculty's current research projects is a voyage through a world complex enough to include robotics, miniaturization, automated manufacturing, automated highway systems, biomaterials, computer mechanics, improved efficiency internal combustion engines and energy systems, and the dynamics and control of both ground vehicles and aircraft.

Undergraduate Programs

Mechanical Engineering: BS, Minor
Materials Science and Engineering/Mechanical Engineering: BS (Joint Major)
Mechanical Engineering/Nuclear Engineering: BS (Joint Major)
Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration: BS (Joint Major)

Graduate Programs

Mechanical Engineering: MEng, MS, PhD

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Courses

Mechanical Engineering

Faculty and Instructors

+ Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.

Faculty

Alice M. Agogino, Professor. New product development, computer-aided design and databases, theory and methods, intelligent learning systems, information retrieval and data mining, digital libraries, multiobjective and strategic product, nonlinear optimization, probabilistic modeling, supervisory.
Research Profile

M. Reza Alam, Assistant Professor. Theoretical Fluid Dynamics, Nonlinear Wave Mechanics, Ocean and Coastal Waves Phenomena, Ocean Renewable Energy (Wave, Tide and Offshore Wind Energy), Nonlinear Dynamical Systems, Fluid Flow Control, ocean renewable energy.
Research Profile

Francesco Borrelli, Associate Professor. Automotive control systems, distributed and robust constrained control, manufacturing control systems, energy efficient buildings, model predictive control.
Research Profile

Van P. Carey, Professor. Mechanical engineering, non-equilibirum thermodynamics, statistical thermodynamics, microscale thermophysics, biothermodynamics, computer aided thermal design, thermodynamic analysis of green manufacturing.
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James Casey, Professor. Continuum mechanics, finite elasticity, continuum thermodynamics, plasticity, theories of elastic-plastic materials, history of mechanics, dynamics.
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Jyh-Yuan Chen, Professor. Computational modeling of reactive systems, turbulent flows, combustion chemical kinetics.
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Chris Dames, Associate Professor.
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Carlos Fernandez-Pello, Professor. Biofuels, heat transfer, fire, combustion, ignition and fire spread, wildland fire spotting, smoldering and flaming, small scale energy generation.
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Michael Frenklach, Professor. Silicon carbide, chemical kinetics, computer modeling, combustion chemistry, pollutant formation (NOx, soot), shock tube, chemical vapor deposition of diamond films, homogeneous nucleation of silicon, diamond powders, interstellar dust formation.
Research Profile

Costas P. Grigoropoulos, Professor. Heat transfer, laser materials processing, nano-manufacturing, energy systems and technology.
Research Profile

Roberto Horowitz, Professor. Adaptive control, learning and nonlinear control, control of robot manipulators, computer mechatronics systems, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), intelligent vehicle, highways systems.
Research Profile

George C. Johnson, Professor. X-rays, plasticity, elasticity, instrumentation, sensors, acoustoelasticity, materials behavior, materials characterization, texture analysis, thin shells deformation, ultrasonic stress analysis.
Research Profile

Homayoon Kazerooni, Professor. Robotics, bioengineering, design, control systems, mechatronics, automated manufacturing, human-machine systems.
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Tony M. Keaveny, Professor. Biomechanics of bone, orthopaedic biomechanics, design of artificial joints, osteoporosis, finite element modeling, clinical biomechanics.
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Kyriakos Komvopoulos, Professor. Contact mechanics, fracture and fatigue of engineering materials, finite element modeling of surface contact and machining, thin-film processing and characterization, adhesion and fatigue of MEMS devices, plasma-assisted surface functionalization of biomaterials, surface patterning for cell adhesion and growth control, mechanics and tribology of magnetic recording devices, mechanotransduction effects in natural cartilage, microfibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering, surface nanoengineering techniques, tribology and mechanics of artificial joints.
Research Profile

Dorian Liepmann, Professor. Bioengineering, mechanical engineering, bioMEMS, biosensors, microfluid dynamics, experimental biofluid dynamics, hemodynamics, valvular heart disease, cardiac flows, arterial flows.
Research Profile

+ Dennis K. Lieu, Professor. Actuators, magnetics, acoustics, electromechanical devices, rolling elements, spindle motors, structural mechanics.
Research Profile

Liwei Lin, Professor. Nanotechnology, MEMS (microelectromechanical systems), NEMS (nanoelectromechanical systems), design and manufacturing of microsensors, microactuators, development of micromachining processes, silicon surface/bulk micromachining, micromolding process.
Research Profile

Fai Ma, Professor. Dynamical systems with inherent uncertainties, vibration, stochastic simulation.
Research Profile

Simo Aleksi Makiharju, Assistant Professor.

Samuel Mao, Associate Adjunct Professor. Mechanical engineering, processing, materials, energy transport, conversion and storage, nano, micro and meso scale, phenomena and devices, laser-material interactions, nonlinear science.
Research Profile

Philip Marcus, Professor. Algorithms, fluid mechanics, nonlinear dynamics, atmospheric flows, convection, ocean flows, numerical analysis, turbulence, planet formation, internal gravity waves, inertial waves, desalination.
Research Profile

Sara Mcmains, Associate Professor. Geometric and solid modeling, general purpose computation on the GPU (GPGPU), CAD/CAM, computational geometry, layered manufacturing, computer graphics and visualization, virtual prototyping, virtual reality.
Research Profile

Mohammad Mofrad, Professor. Nuclear pore complex and nucleocytoplasmic transport, mechanobiology of disease, cellular mechanotransduction, integrin-mediated focal adhesions.
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Stephen Morris, Professor. Continuum mechanics, micro mechanics of solid-solid phase changes, interfacial phenomena (evaporating thin films), electroporation.
Research Profile

Grace O'Connell, Assistant Professor. Tissue engineering, biomechanics, intervertebral disc, cartilage.
Research Profile

+ Oliver O'Reilly, Professor. Continuum mechanics, vibrations, dynamics.
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+ Andrew Packard, Professor. Design, robustness issues in control analysis, linear algebra, numerical algorithms in control problems, applications of system theory to aerospace problems, flight control, control of fluid.
Research Profile

Panayiotis Papadopoulos, Professor. Continuum mechanics, computational mechanics, contact mechanics, computational plasticity, materials modeling, solid mechanics, applied mathematics, dynamics of pseudo-rigid bodies.
Research Profile

+ Kameshwar Poolla, Professor. Cybersecurity, modeling, control, renewable energy, estimation, integrated circuit design and manufacturing, smart grids.
Research Profile

+ Lisa Pruitt, Professor. Tissue biomechanics, biomaterial science, fatigue and fracture micromechanisms, orthopedic polymers for total joint replacement, cardiovascular biomaterials, synthetic cartilage, acrylic bone cements, tribology of diamond and DLCs.
Research Profile

Robert O. Ritchie, Professor. Structural materials, mechanical behavior in biomaterials, creep, fatigue and fracture of advanced metals, intermetallics, ceramics.
Research Profile

S. Shankar Sastry, Professor. Computer science, robotics, arial robots, cybersecurity, cyber defense, homeland defense, nonholonomic systems, control of hybrid systems, sensor networks, interactive visualization, robotic telesurgery, rapid prototyping.
Research Profile

Omer Savas, Professor. Fluid mechanics.
Research Profile

Shawn Shadden, Associate Professor.

Lydia Sohn, Professor. Micro-nano engineering.
Research Profile

David Steigmann, Professor. Finite elasticity, mechanics, continuum, shell theory, variational methods, stability, surface stress, capillary phenomena, mechanics of thin films.
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Andrew Szeri, Professor. Biomedical engineering, fluid dynamics, dynamical systems.
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Hayden Taylor, Assistant Professor. Manufacturing, microfabrication, nanofabrication, semiconductor manufacturing, computational mechanics, nanoimprint lithography.
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Masayoshi Tomizuka, Professor. Mechatronics, control systems theory, digital control, dynamic systems, mechanical vibrations, adaptive and optimal control, motion control.
Research Profile

Paul K. Wright, Professor. Mechanical and electrical engineering design, 3D-printing, manufacturing, energy systems, wireless sensor networks, sensors/MEMS/NEMS, IT systems, automated manufacturing and inspection.
Research Profile

Kazuo Yamazaki, Professor. Etc., micro custom diamond tool design and fabrication system, CNC machine tool control software and hardware system, ultrasonic milling, intelligent manufacturing systems, mechatronics control hardware and software for manufacturing processes and equipment, computer aided manufacturing system for five axis, milling - turning integrated machining process, nano/micro mechanical machining processes and equipment, precision metrology for nano/micro mechanical machining, Non-traditional manufacturing processes such as electric discharge machining, laser machining and electron beam finishing.
Research Profile

Ronald W. Yeung, Professor. Mathematical modeling, hydromechanics, naval architecture, numerical fluid mechanics, offshore mechanics, ocean processes, separated flows, wave-vorticity interaction, vortex-induced vibrations, stratified fluid flow, ocean energy, green ships, tidal energy, multi-hull flow physics, Helmholtz resonance, ship motion instabilities, tank resonance.
Research Profile

Xiang Zhang, Professor. Mechanical engineering, rapid prototyping, semiconductor manufacturing, photonics, micro-nano scale engineering, 3D fabrication technologies, microelectronics, micro and nano-devices, nano-lithography, nano-instrumentation, bio-MEMS.
Research Profile

+ Tarek Zohdi, Professor. Finite element methods, computational methods for advanced manufacturing, micro-structural/macro-property inverse problems involving optimization and design of new materials, modeling and simulation of high-strength fabric, modeling and simulation of particulate/granular flows, modeling and simulation of multiphase/composite electromagnetic media, modeling and simulation of the dynamics of swarms.
Research Profile

Lecturers

George Anwar, Lecturer.

+ Sara Beckman, Senior Lecturer SOE. Business, innovation, management, product development, operations strategy, environmental supply chain management.
Research Profile

Ayyana M. Chakravartula, Lecturer.

Robert Hennigar, Lecturer.

Marcel Kristel, Lecturer.

Chris Mccoy, Lecturer.

Christopher Layne Myers, Lecturer.

David B. Rich, Lecturer.

Michael Shiloh, Lecturer.

Julie Sinistore, Lecturer.

Kourosh (Ken) Youssefi, Lecturer.

Visiting Faculty

Shaochen Chen, Visiting Professor.

Emeritus Faculty

David M. Auslander, Professor Emeritus. Control systems, simulation, mechatronics, real time software, energy management, satellite attitude control, demand response, machine control.
Research Profile

David B. Bogy, Professor Emeritus. Fluid mechanics, mechanics in computer technology, tribology in hard-disk drives, laser measurement systems, numerical simulations, static and dynamic problems in solid mechanics.
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Gilles M. Corcos, Professor Emeritus.

Hari Dharan, Professor Emeritus. Mechanical behavior, composite materials structures, manufacturing processes.
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Robert W. Dibble, Professor Emeritus. Mechanical engineering, laser diagnostics.
Research Profile

Ralph Greif, Professor Emeritus. Heat and mass transfer, micro scale transport, fuel cells, cooling at the chip level, semiconductor wafers, materials processing, laser surface interactions, nuclear reactor safety, phase change, buoyancy transport, bio heat transfer, reacting flows.
Research Profile

Frank E. Hauser, Professor Emeritus. Mechanical engineering.
Research Profile

George Leitmann, Professor Emeritus. Economics, planning, dynamics systems, control theory, optimal control, dynamic games, and robust control, applications engineering, mechanical systems, business administrations, biological systems.
Research Profile

Alaa E. Mansour, Professor Emeritus. Structural reliability, safety, probabilistic dynamics of marine structures, strength of ship, offshore structures, development of design criteria.
Research Profile

C. D. Jr. Mote, Professor Emeritus.

Patrick J. Pagni, Professor Emeritus. Fire safety engineering, fire physics, fire modeling, post earthquake fires.
Research Profile

Boris Rubinsky, Professor Emeritus. Medical imaging, biotechnology, biomedical engineering, low temperature biology, micro and nano bionic technologies, electrical impedance tomography, bio-electronics, biomedical devices biomedical numerical analysis, bio-heat and mass transfer, electroporation light imaging.
Research Profile

Robert F. Sawyer, Professor Emeritus. Regulatory policy, air pollutant formation and control, motor vehicle emissions, combustion chemistry, motor fuels, health effects of air pollution.
Research Profile

Wilbur H. Somerton, Professor Emeritus.

Benson H. Tongue, Professor Emeritus. Nonlinear dynamics, acoustics, vibrations, modal analysis, numerical modeling.
Research Profile

George J. Trezek, Professor Emeritus.

Kent S. Udell, Professor Emeritus. Contaminated aquifer restoration, enhanced petroleum recovery, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer, multiphase transport in porous media, microscale heat transfer.
Research Profile

Contact Information

Department of Mechanical Engineering

6141 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-642-1338

Fax: 510-642-6163

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Department Chair

Roberto Horowitz, PhD

6143 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-643-7013

horowitz@berkeley.edu

Vice Chair of Graduate Matters

Chris Dames, PhD

6185 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-642-3286

cdames@berkeley.edu

Vice Chair of Instruction

Costas Grigoropoulos, PhD

6129 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-642-2525

cgrigoro@berkeley.edu

Director of Academic and Student Affairs

Donna Craig

6189 Etcheverry Hall

Phone: 510-642-5085

dcraig@me.berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Student Affairs Officer

Shareena Samson

Phone: 510-642-4094

shareena@me.berkeley.edu

Student Affairs Officer

Yawo Dagbevi Akpawu

Phone: 510-642-5084

yawo@me.berkeley.edu

Student Affairs Officer

Isabel Blanco

Phone: 510-642-6780

miblanco@berkeley.edu

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