About the Program
Bachelor of Science (BS)
The joint major programs are designed for students who wish to undertake study in two areas of engineering in order to qualify for employment in either field or for positions in which competence in two fields is required. These curricula include the core courses in each of the major fields. While they require slightly increased course loads, they can be completed in four years.
Students interested in the mechanical behavior of materials have the option of pursuing a joint major in Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. The curriculum addresses key fundamentals of both disciplines, preparing students in materials selection and design for structural and functional applications. Students completing this joint major enter professional positions in the aerospace, automotive, energy, manufacturing industries, and much more or top graduate programs.
Admission to the Joint Major
Admission directly to a joint major is closed to freshmen and junior transfer applicants. Students interested in a joint program may apply to change majors during specific times in their academic progress. Please see the College of Engineering joint majors website for complete details.
Major Requirements
In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.
General Guidelines
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All technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.
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No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student’s major and minor programs.
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A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for all work undertaken at UC Berkeley.
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A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for all technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements.
For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.
For a detailed plan of study by year and semester, please see the Plan of Study tab.
Lower Division Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 1A | Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 1B | Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 53 | Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 54 | Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | 4 |
| CHEM 1A | General Chemistry 1 | 3-5 |
| or CHEM 4A | General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis | |
| PHYSICS 7A | Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| PHYSICS 7B | Physics for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| ENGIN 7 | Introduction to Computer Programming for Scientists and Engineers | 4 |
| ENGIN 26 | Three-Dimensional Modeling for Design | 2 |
| ENGIN 29 | Manufacturing and Design Communication | 4 |
| MAT SCI 45 | Properties of Materials | 3 |
| MAT SCI 45L | Properties of Materials Laboratory | 1 |
| MEC ENG 40 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
| MEC ENG C85 | Introduction to Solid Mechanics | 3 |
- 1
CHEM 4A is intended for students majoring in chemistry or a closely related field.
Upper Division Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MEC ENG 100 | Electronics for the Internet of Things | 4 |
| or PHYSICS 111A | Instrumentation Laboratory | |
| ENGIN 178 | Statistics and Data Science for Engineers | 4 |
| MEC ENG 102B | Mechatronics Design | 4 |
| MEC ENG 103 | Experimentation and Measurements | 4 |
| MEC ENG 104 | Engineering Mechanics II | 3 |
| MEC ENG 106 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| MEC ENG 108 | Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials | 3-4 |
| or MAT SCI 113 | Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials | |
| MEC ENG 109 | Heat Transfer | 3 |
| MEC ENG 132 | Dynamic Systems and Feedback | 3 |
| MAT SCI 102 | Bonding, Crystallography, and Crystal Defects | 3 |
| MAT SCI 103 | Phase Transformations and Kinetics | 3 |
| MAT SCI 104 & 104L | Materials Characterization and Materials Characterization Laboratory | 4 |
| MAT SCI 112 | Corrosion (Chemical Properties) | 3 |
| MAT SCI 130 | Experimental Materials Science and Design | 3 |
| Upper division technical electives: minimum 9 units to include: 1,2 | 9 | |
At least 3 units of MAT SCI 12x (from the 120 series) | ||
At least 6 units of upper division MEC ENG courses, one of which must be a design elective chosen from: MEC ENG 101, MEC ENG 110, MEC ENG C117, MEC ENG 118, MEC ENG 119, MEC ENG 130, MEC ENG 133, MEC ENG C134, MEC ENG 135, MEC ENG 139, MEC ENG 146, MEC ENG 151, MEC ENG 165, MEC ENG C176, MEC ENG C178, MEC ENG 179, ENGIN 128 | ||
- 1
Students may receive up to three units of technical elective credit for work on a research project in MEC ENG H194 or MEC ENG 196. Other letter-graded research courses may be approved by petition.
- 2
Technical electives cannot include any course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis; MEC ENG 191AC, MEC ENG 190K, MEC ENG 191K .
College Requirements
Students in the College of Engineering must complete no fewer than 120 semester units with the following provisions:
- Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program of study.
- A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 (C average) and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical coursework required of the major.
- The final 30 units and two semesters must be completed in residence in the College of Engineering on the Berkeley campus.
- All technical courses (math, science, and engineering) that can fulfill requirements for the student's major must be taken on a letter graded basis (unless they are only offered P/NP).
- Entering freshmen are allowed a maximum of eight semesters to complete their degree requirements. Entering junior transfers are allowed five semesters to complete their degree requirements. Summer terms are optional and do not count toward the maximum. Students are responsible for planning and satisfactorily completing all graduation requirements within the maximum allowable semesters.
- Adhere to all college policies and procedures as they complete degree requirements.
- Complete the lower division program before enrolling in upper division engineering courses.
Humanities and Social Sciences (H/SS) Requirement
To promote a rich and varied educational experience outside of the technical requirements for each major, the College of Engineering has a six-course Humanities and Social Sciences breadth requirement, which must be completed to graduate. This requirement, built into all the engineering programs of study, includes two Reading and Composition courses (R&C), and four additional courses within which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. See the humanities and social sciences section of our website for details.
Class Schedule Requirements
- Minimum units per semester: 12.0
- Maximum units per semester: 20.5
- Minimum technical courses: College of Engineering undergraduates must include at least two letter graded technical courses (of at least 3 units each) in their semester program. Every semester students are expected to make satisfactory progress in their declared major. Satisfactory progress is determined by the student's Engineering Student Services Advisor. (Note: For most majors, normal progress will require enrolling in 3-4 technical courses each semester). Students who are not in compliance with this policy by the end of the fifth week of the semester are subject to a registration block that will delay enrollment for the following semester.
- All technical courses (math, science, engineering) that satisfy requirements for the major must be taken on a letter-graded basis (unless only offered as P/NP).
Minimum Academic (Grade) Requirements
- Minimum overall and semester grade point averages of 2.00 (C average) are required of engineering undergraduates. Students will be subject to dismissal from the University if during any fall or spring semester their overall UC GPA falls below a 2.00, or their semester GPA is less than 2.00.
- Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (C average) in upper division technical courses required for the major curriculum each semester.
- A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical course work required for the major are required to earn a Bachelor of Science in the College of Engineering.
Unit Requirements
To earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, students must complete at least 120 semester units of courses subject to certain guidelines:
- Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program of study.
- A maximum of 16 units of special studies coursework (courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, or 199) is allowed to count towards the B.S. degree, and no more than 4 units in any single term can be counted.
- A maximum of 4 units of physical education from any school attended will count towards the 120 units.
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Passed (P) grades may account for no more than one third of the total units completed at UC Berkeley, Fall Program for Freshmen (FPF), UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), or UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) toward the 120 overall minimum unit requirement. Transfer credit is not factored into the limit. This includes transfer units from outside of the UC system, other UC campuses, credit-bearing exams, as well as UC Berkeley Extension XB units.
Normal Progress
Students in the College of Engineering must enroll in a full-time program and make normal progress each semester toward the bachelor's degree. The continued enrollment of students who fail to achieve minimum academic progress shall be subject to the approval of the dean. (Note: Students with official accommodations established by the Disabled Students' Program, with health or family issues, or with other reasons deemed appropriate by the dean may petition for an exception to normal progress rules.)
UC and Campus Requirements
University of California Requirements
All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by satisfying the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR). The UC Entry Level Writing Requirement website provides information on how to satisfy the requirement
American History and American Institutions
The American History and Institutions (AH&I) requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.
Campus Requirement
The American Cultures requirement is a Berkeley campus requirement, one that all undergraduate students at Berkeley need to pass in order to graduate. You satisfy the requirement by passing, with a grade not lower than C- or P, an American Cultures course. You may take an American Cultures course any time during your undergraduate career at Berkeley. The requirement was instituted in 1991 to introduce students to the diverse cultures of the United States through a comparative framework. Courses are offered in more than fifty departments in many different disciplines at both the lower and upper division level.
Plan of Study
For more detailed information regarding the courses listed below (e.g., elective information, GPA requirements, etc.), please see the College Requirements and Major Requirements tabs.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
| CHEM 4A or 1A and 1AL1 | 5 | MATH 1B | 4 |
| MATH 1A | 4 | PHYSICS 7A | 4 |
| ENGIN 26 | 2 | ENGIN 7 | 4 |
| Reading & Composition Part A Course4 | 4 | Reading & Composition Part B Course4 | 4 |
| Optional Freshman Seminar or ENGIN 92 | 0-1 | Optional Freshman Seminar | 0-1 |
| 15-16 | 16-17 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
| MATH 53 | 4 | MATH 54 | 4 |
| PHYSICS 7B | 4 | MEC ENG 40 | 3 |
| ENGIN 29 | 4 | MEC ENG C85 | 3 |
| MAT SCI 455 | 3 | Humanities/Social Sciences course4 | 3-4 |
| MAT SCI 45L5 | 1 | MEC ENG 100 or PHYSICS 111A | 4 |
| 16 | 17-18 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
| MEC ENG 104 | 3 | MEC ENG 132 | 3 |
| MEC ENG 106 | 3 | MAT SCI 103 | 3 |
| MEC ENG 108 or MAT SCI 113 | 3-4 | MAT SCI 104 & 104L | 4 |
| MAT SCI 102 | 3 | ||
| Humanities/Social Sciences course4 | 3-4 | ||
| ENGIN 178 | 4 | ||
| 19-21 | 10 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units |
| MEC ENG 109 | 3 | MEC ENG 102B | 4 |
| MAT SCI 130 | 3 | MEC ENG 103 | 4 |
| Technical Electives2,3 | 6 | MAT SCI 112 | 3 |
| Humanities/Social Sciences course4 | 3-4 | Technical Elective2,3 | 3 |
| Humanities/Social Sciences course4 | 3-4 | ||
| 15-16 | 17-18 | ||
| Total Units: 125-132 | |||
- 1
CHEM 4A is intended for students majoring in chemistry or a closely-related field.
- 2
A total of 9 upper-division technical elective units are required. These must include 6 units of upper-division Mechanical Engineering courses, one of which must be from the following list: ENGIN 128, MEC ENG 101, MEC ENG 110, MEC ENG C117, MEC ENG 118, MEC ENG 119, MEC ENG 130, MEC ENG 133, MEC ENG C134, MEC ENG 135, MEC ENG 139, MEC ENG 146, MEC ENG 151, MEC ENG 165, MEC ENG C176, MEC ENG C178, MEC ENG 179. In addition, 3 units must be from the MAT SCI 120 series. Students may receive up to 3 units of technical elective credit for work on a research project in MEC ENG H194 or MEC ENG 196. Other letter-graded research courses may be approved by petition.
- 3
Technical Electives cannot include any course taken on a Pass/No Pass basis; MEC ENG 191AC, MEC ENG 190K, MEC ENG 191K.
- 4
The Humanities/Social Sciences (H/SS) requirement includes two approved Reading & Composition (R&C) courses and four additional approved courses, with which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. R&C courses must be taken for a letter grade (C- or better required). The first half (R&C Part A) must be completed by the end of the freshman year; the second half (R&C Part B) must be completed by no later than the end of the sophomore year. The remaining courses may be taken at any time during the program. See engineering.berkeley.edu/hss for complete details and a list of approved courses.
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MAT SCI 45/MAT SCI 45L can be taken in either the Fall or Spring semesters of the first year. Both offerings deliver the same fundamental content. The Fall offering draws more examples from hard materials (e.g. semiconductors, metals and ceramics), whereas the Spring offering will draw more examples from soft materials (e.g. polymers and biomaterials).
Student Learning Goals
Materials Science
MEASURED CURRICULAR OUTCOMES
The program is designed around a set of curricular outcomes.
- Be able to apply general math, science and engineering skills to the solution of engineering problems.
- Be aware of the social, safety and environmental consequences of their work, and be able to engage in public debate regarding these issues.
- Be able to apply core concepts in materials science to solve engineering problems.
- Be knowledgeable of contemporary issues relevant to materials science and engineering.
- Be able to select materials for design and construction.
- Understand the importance of life-long learning.
- Be able to design and conduct experiments, and to analyze data.
- Understand the professional and ethical responsibilities of a materials scientist and engineer.
- Be able to work both independently and as part of a team.
- Be able to communicate effectively while speaking, employing graphics, and writing.
- Possess the skills and techniques necessary for modern materials engineering practice.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES FOR GRADUATES
Stated succinctly, graduates from the program will have the following skills:
- Know the fundamental science and engineering principles relevant to materials.
- Understand the relationship between nano/microstructure, characterization, properties and processing, and design of materials.
- Have the experimental and computational skills for a professional career or graduate study in materials.
- Possess a knowledge of the significance of research, the value of continued learning, and environmental/social issues surrounding materials.
- Be able to communicate effectively, to work in teams and to assume positions as leaders.
- Be able to communicate effectively, to work in teams and to assume positions as leaders.
Mechanical Engineering
Learning Goals
The objectives of the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate program are to produce graduates who do the following:
- Vigorously engage in post-baccalaureate endeavors, whether in engineering graduate study, in engineering practice, or in the pursuit of other fields such as science, law, medicine, business or public policy.
- Apply their mechanical engineering education to address the full range of technical and societal problems with creativity, imagination, confidence and responsibility.
- Actively seek out positions of leadership within their profession and their community.
- Serve as ambassadors for engineering by exhibiting the highest ethical and professional standards, and by communicating the importance and excitement of this dynamic field.
- Retain the intellectual curiosity that motivates lifelong learning and allows for a flexible response to the rapidly evolving challenges of the 21st century.
Skills
Mechanical Engineering graduates have the following:
- An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
- An ability to design and conduct experiments as well as to analyze and interpret data.
- An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
- An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
- An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
- An ability to communicate effectively.
- The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
- A recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning.
- A knowledge of contemporary issues.
- An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
Faculty and Instructors
* Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.
Faculty
Joel W. Ager, Adjunct Professor. Sustainable energy conversion, electronic materials, catalytic and photoelectrocatalytic materials.
Zakaria Y. Al Balushi, Assistant Professor. Electronic, Magnetic and Optical Materials, Quantum Materials Synthesis and Optoelectronics.
Research Profile
Mark D. Asta, Professor. Computational materials science.
Research Profile
Jillian Banfield, Professor. Nanoscience, Bioremediation, genomics, biogeochemistry, carbon cycling, geomicrobiology, MARS, minerology.
Research Profile
Robert Birgeneau, Professor. Physics, phase transition behavior of novel states of matter.
Research Profile
Gerbrand Ceder, Professor. Energy storage, computational modeling, machine learning.
Research Profile
Daryl Chrzan, Professor. Materials science and engineering, computational materials science, metals and metallic compounds, defects in solids, growth of nanostructures.
Research Profile
Thomas M. Devine, Professor. Synthesis of nanomaterials, nuclear power, oil production, secondary batteries for electric vehicles, computer disk drives, and synthesis and characterization of metal oxide nanowires, corrosion resistance of materials.
Research Profile
Oscar D. Dubon, Professor. Magnetic, optical materials, processing, properties in electronic.
Research Profile
Kevin Healy, Professor. Bioengineering, biomaterials engineering, tissue engineering, bioinspired materials, tissue and organ regeneration, stem cell engineering, microphysiological systems, organs on a chip, drug screening and discovery, multivalent bioconjugate therapeutics.
Research Profile
Frances Hellman, Professor. Condensed matter physics and materials science.
Research Profile
Lane W. Martin, Professor. Complex Oxides, novel electronic materials, thin films, materials processing, materials characterization, memory, logic, information technologies, energy conversion, thermal properties, dielectrics, ferroelectrics, pyroelectrics, piezoelectrics, magnetics, multiferroics, transducers, devices.
Research Profile
Phillip B. Messersmith, Professor. Biologically inspired materials, regenerative medicine, biointerfacial phenomena, biological materials, medical adhesion, polymers.
Research Profile
Andrew M. Minor, Professor. Metallurgy, nanomechanics, in situ TEM, electron microscopy of soft materials.
Research Profile
Ahmad Omar, Assistant Professor. Natural and synthetic soft condensed matter systems.
Research Profile
Kristin A. Persson, Professor. Lithium-ion Batteries.
Research Profile
R. Ramesh, Professor. Processing of complex oxide heterostructures, nanoscale characterization/device structures, thin film growth and materials physics of complex oxides, materials processing for devices, information technologies.
Research Profile
Robert O. Ritchie, Professor. Structural materials, mechanical behavior in biomaterials, creep, fatigue and fracture of advanced metals, intermetallics, ceramics.
Research Profile
Miquel B. Salmeron, Adjunct Professor. Molecules, lasers, atoms, materials science and engineering, matter, scanning, tunneling, atomic force microscopies, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Research Profile
Mary Scott, Assistant Professor. Structural materials, Electronic, Magnetic and Optical Materials, and Chemical and Electrochemical Materials.
Research Profile
Junqiao Wu, Professor. Semiconductors, nanotechnology, energy materials.
Research Profile
Ting Xu, Professor. Polymer, nanocomposite, biomaterial, membrane, directed self-assembly, drug delivery, protein therapeutics, block copolymers, nanoparticles.
Research Profile
Peidong Yang, Professor. Materials chemistry, sensors, nanostructures, energy conversion, nanowires, miniaturizing optoelectronic devices, photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, solid state lighting.
Research Profile
Jie Yao, Associate Professor. Optical materials, Nanophotonics, optoelectronics.
Research Profile
Haimei Zheng, Associate Adjunct Professor. Nanoscience, solid-liquid interfaces, chemical and electrochemical processes, catalysis, nanomaterials characterization, in situ liquid phase electron microscopy.
Xiaoyu (Rayne) Zheng, Associate Professor.
Lecturers
Matthew Sherburne, Lecturer. Computational (DFT, Machine Learning, High Throughput) Materials Science and Engineering applied to the Discovery, Design and Development of materials for sustainability. The main areas are Perovskite for solar energy, Catalytic materials for CO2 reduction (catalytic work also includes biofuels and pharmaceuticals), and 2D materials for clean water.
Emeritus Faculty
Lutgard De Jonghe, Professor Emeritus. Ceramic properties, advanced ceramics, silicon carbide, densification studies, microstructure development.
Research Profile
Fiona Doyle, Professor Emeritus. Electrochemistry, mineral processing, solution processing of materials, interfacial chemistry, extractive metallurgy, remediation of abandoned mines.
Research Profile
James W. Evans, Professor Emeritus. Production of materials, particularly fluid flow, reaction kinetics, mass transport, electrochemical, electromagnetic phenomena governing processes for producing materials, metals, storing energy.
Research Profile
* Douglas W. Fuerstenau, Professor Emeritus. Mineral processing, extractive metallurgy, application of surface, colloid chemistry to mineral/water systems, fine particle science, technology, principles of comminution, flotation, pelletizing, hydrometallurg, extraction of metals.
Research Profile
Andreas M. Glaeser, Professor Emeritus. Ceramic joining, TLP bonding, brazing, reduced-temperature joining, ceramic-metal joining, ceramic processing, surface and interface properties of ceramics, thermal barrier coatings.
Research Profile
* Ronald Gronsky, Professor Emeritus. Internal structure of materials, engineering applications.
Research Profile
Marshal F. Merriam, Professor Emeritus.
* J. W. Morris, Professor Emeritus. Structural materials, computational materials, the limits of strength, deformation mechanisms, non-destructive testing with SQUID microscopy, mechanisms of grain refinement in high strength steels, lead-free solders for microelectronics.
Research Profile
Matthew Tirrell, Professor Emeritus.
Eicke R. Weber, Professor Emeritus. Optical materials, magnetic materials, semiconductor thin film growth, device processing in electronic materials.
Research Profile
* 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, Associate 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
David M. Auslander, Professor. Automatic control system design, mini-microcomputer system bioengineering, modeling and simulation of dynamic systems, process control.
Research Profile
David B. Bogy, Professor. Mechanics in computer technology: tribology in hard-disk drives, laser measurement systems, numerical simulations. Static and dynamic problems in solid and fluid mechanics.
Research Profile
Francesco Borrelli, Professor. Model Predictive Control, Model-Based AI, Distributed and Robust Constrained Control, Automotive Control Systems, Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficient Building Control Systems, Solar Power Plants, Mobility Contextual Intelligence, Robotics and Food Systems.
Research Profile
Van P. Carey, Professor. Energy conversion and transport; molecular-level modeling of thermophysics and transport in multiphase systems; statistical thermodynamics; thermal management and energy efficiency of electronic information systems; boiling phenomena in pure fluids and binary mixtures; surface wetting effects in condensation processes; heat pipes; energy-based sustainability analysis of energy conversion systems; high temperature solar collector technologies; radial flow turbines and disk rotor drag turbine expanders for green energy conversion technologies; computer-aided design of energy systems.
Research Profile
James Casey, Professor. Continuum mechanics, finite elasticity, continuum thermodynamics, plasticity, theories of elastic-plastic materials, history of mechanics, dynamics.
Research Profile
Chris Dames, Chair, Professor. Heat transfer and energy conversion at the micro and nano scale. Theoretical and experimental methods. Nanostructured thermoelectric materials. Thermal rectification. Graphene. Nonlinear, anisotropic, and asymmetric heat transfer.
Research Profile
Robert Dibble, Professor. Laser diagnostics in turbulent reactive flows, generation of green fuels from biomass, highest efficiency and lowest pollution combustion of fuels derived from biomass, combustion issues related to global warming, conversion of waste heat to power via Organic Rankine Cycle ( ORC ), spectroscopy, chemical kinetics, turbulent combustion, optics and electronics.
Research Profile
Carlos Fernandez-Pello, Professor. Ignition and fire spread; smoldering and transition to flaming; spacecraft/aircraft fire safety; wildland fire propagation and wildland fire spotting; liquid fuel pool burning; self heating and ignition; small-scale energy generation; biofuels combustion.
Research Profile
Michael Frenklach, Professor. Chemical kinetics; Computer modeling; Combustion chemistry; Pollutant formation (NOx, soot); Shock tube; Chemical vapor deposition of diamond films; Homogeneous nucleation of silicon, silicon carbide, and diamond powders; Interstellar dust formation.
Research Profile
Michael Gollner, Associate Professor. Combustion, Fire Dynamics, Wildland Fire, Fluid Mechanics.
Research Profile
Kosa Goucher-Lambert, Assistant Professor. Design theory, methodology, and automation: decision-making applied to engineering teams and individuals, ideation and creativity, analogical reasoning in design, preference modeling and design attribute optimization, design cognition, neuroimaging methods applied to design, sustainable design, new product development, crowdsourcing and collaboration.
Research Profile
Ralph Greif, Professor. 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, deposition.
Research Profile
Costas P. Grigoropoulos, Professor. Laser processing of materials, ultrafast laser micro/nanomachining, nanotechnology, nanomanufacturing, fabrication of flexible electronics, laser crystal growth for thin film transistors, advanced energy applications, microscale fuel cells, hydrogen storage, heat transfer, electronics cooling, microfluidics, laser interactions with biological materials.
Research Profile
Grace X. Gu, Assistant Professor. Composites, additive manufacturing, fracture mechanics, topology optimization, machine learning, finite element analysis, and bioinspired materials.
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
David Horsley, Adjunct Professor. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), ultrasonics, piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs), piezoelectric sensors and actuators, inertial and acoustic sensors, magnetic sensors, optical MEMS, dynamics and control issues in MEMS.
Research Profile
Alexis Kaminski, Assistant Professor . Stratified flows, hydrodynamic instabilities, transition to turbulence, mixing and entrainment, internal waves, non-normal stability, upper-ocean dynamics, physical oceanography, geophysical and environmental fluid dynamics.
Research Profile
Homayoon Kazerooni, Professor. Bioengineering, robotics, control systems, mechatronics, design, automated manufacturing and human-machine systems.
Research Profile
Tony M. Keaveny, Professor. Biomechanics: mechanical behavior of bone, finite element modeling and experimentation, design of bone-implant systems, tissue engineering.
Research Profile
Kyriakos Komvopoulos, Professor. Theoretical and numerical studies in nano-/micro-scale contact mechanics, tribology, mechanical behavior of bulk and thin-film materials, deposition and characterization of single and multi-layer ultrathin films by sputtering and filtered cathodic vacuum arc methods, reliability of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), surface force microprobe techniques, surface modification of biopolymers, surface chemical functionalization for enhanced biocompatibility and cell activity, mechanotransduction effects at the single-cell and tissue levels, scaffolds for tissue engineering, and flexible/stretchable bioelectronics.
Research Profile
George Leitmann, Professor. Economics, planning, dynamics systems, control theory, optimal control, dynamic games, & robust control, applications engineering, mechanical systems, business administrations, biological systems.
Research Profile
Liwei Lin, Professor. MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems); NEMS (Nanoelectromechanical Systems); Nanotechnology; design and manufacturing of microsensors and microactuators; development of micromachining processes by silicon surface/bulk micromachining; micromolding process; mechanical issues in MEMS including heat transfer, solid/fluid mechanics, and dynamics.
Research Profile
Fai Ma, Professor. Dynamical systems with inherent uncertainties, vibration, stochastic simulation.
Research Profile
Simo Aleksi Makiharju, Assistant Professor. Reduction drag on marine vehicles, mitigation of damage and noise caused by cavitation in naval and industrial applications, and efficient handling of single- and multiphase flows in energy production applications.
Research Profile
Samuel Mao, Adjunct Professor. Professor Mao and his team conduct research in the cross-disciplinary fields of clean energy technologies. The team also develops high throughput material processing and ultrafast laser technologies, in support of clean-energy research.
Research Profile
Philip S. Marcus, Professor. Algorithms, atmospheric flows, convection, fluid mechanics, nonlinear dynamics, ocean flows, numerical analysis, turbulence.
Research Profile
Sara McMains, 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 R. K. Mofrad, Professor. Multiscale Biomechanics of Cardiovascular Disease and Brain Injury; Molecular and Cellular Mechanobiology; Mechanics of Integrin-Mediated Focal Adhesions; Mechanics of the Nuclear Pore and Nucleocytoplasmic Transport.
Research Profile
Mark W. Mueller, Assistant Professor. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, dynamics and control; motion planning and coordination; state estimation and localization.
Research Profile
Grace O'Connell, Associate Professor. Biomechanics of cartilage and intervertebral disc; tissue engineering; continuum modeling of soft tissues; intervertebral disc function, degeneration, and regeneration.
Research Profile
* Oliver O'Reilly, Professor. Dynamics, Vibrations, Continuum Mechanics.
Research Profile
Panayiotis Papadopoulos, Professor. Computational mechanics, solid mechanics, biomechanics, applied mathematics.
Research Profile
* Kameshwar Poolla, Professor. Theory: Modeling & System Identification, Robust Control, Optimization. Applications: Wireless Sensor Networks, Green Buildings, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Medical Imaging.
Research Profile
Ravi Prasher, Adjunct Professor. Dr. Prasher’s primary research interests are fundamental and applied studies of Nano-to-macroscale thermal energy process and systems, using both theoretical and experimental methods. Some topics of current interest include thermal transport in Lithium ion batteries, microelectronics thermal management using microfluidics, solar thermal energy conversion, high density thermochemical storage, solar thermal desalination, heat and mass transfer in roll-to-roll manufacturing process and applications of machine learning in inverse design of optical metamaterials.
* 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
Boris Rubinsky, Professor. Heat and mass transfer in biomedical engineering and biotechnology in particular low temperature biology, bio-electronics and biomedical devices in particular micro and nano bionic technologies and electroporation, medical imaging in particular electrical impedance tomography and light imaging, biomedical numerical analysis in particular genetic and evolutionary algorithms and fractal techniques.
Research Profile
Omer Savas, Professor. Fluid mechanics: aircraft wake vortices; biofluid mechanics; boundary layers; instrumentation; rotating flows; transient aerodynamics; turbulent flows; vortex dynamics.
Research Profile
Shawn Shadden, Associate Professor. Cardiovascular biomechanics, computational mechanics, computational fluid dynamics, dynamical systems, fluid dynamics, Lagrangian coherent structures, mathematical modeling, thrombosis.
Research Profile
Lydia Sohn, Professor. Micro-nano engineering, bioengineering.
Research Profile
Koushil Sreenath, Associate Professor. Hybrid Dynamic Robotics, Applied Nonlinear Control, Dynamic Legged Locomotion, Dynamic Aerial Manipulation.
Research Profile
David Steigmann, Professor. Continuum, mechanics, shell theory, finite elasticity, variational methods, stability, surface stress, capillary phenomena, mechanics of thin films.
Research Profile
Hannah Stuart, Assistant Professor. Dexterous manipulation, bioinspired design, soft and multi-material mechanisms, skin contact conditions, tactile sensing and haptics.
Research Profile
Hayden Taylor, Associate Professor. The invention, modeling and simulation of micro- and nano-manufacturing processes, materials-testing techniques operating down to the nanoscale, and applications of polymeric materials in micro- and nano-fabrication—including for tissue scaffold engineering.
Research Profile
Masayoshi Tomizuka, Professor. Adaptive control, computer-aided manufacturing, control systems and theory, digital control, dynamic systems, manufacturing, mechanical vibrations.
Research Profile
Vassilia Zorba, Associate Adjunct Professor. Energy Science & Technology; MEMS/Nano; Materials.
Affiliated Faculty
Murat Arcak, Professor. Dynamical systems and control theory with applications to synthetic biology, multi-agent systems, and transportation.
Research Profile
Saikat Chaudhuri, Professor. Corporate growth and innovation strategies, Technological innovation in dynamic environments, Digital disruption and transformation,High-technology mergers and acquisitions, High-value strategic partnerships and outsourcing.
Peter Hosemann, Professor. Mechanical performance and microstructural characterization of structural materials as well as in environmental degradation of materials in extreme environments. Multi scale mechanical property quantification and their implications for engineering performance as well as corrosion in unusual environments are part of the research. Furthermore, professor Hosemann is interested in the manufacturing of materials (from ore to product) and most recently in micromanufacturing of geometries using short, pulsed lasers.
Research Profile
Dorian Liepmann, Professor. BioMEMS, microfluid dynamics, experimental biofluid dynamics, hemodynamics associated with valvular heart disease and other cardiac and arterial flows.
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
Somayeh Sojoudi, Assistant Professor. Control theory, optimization theory, machine learning, algorithms, and data science.
Research Profile
Lecturers
George Anwar, Lecturer. Model Predictive Control, Distributed and Robust Constrained Control, Automotive Control Systems, Energy Efficient Building Control Systems.
Gabriel Gomes, Lecturer.
Marcel Kristel, Lecturer.
Ala Moradian, Lecturer. Dr. Moradian’s primary research interests are product development, advanced materials processing, semiconductor manufacturing, computational methods for process modeling and virtual fabrication, digital twin, and multi-physics modeling for product design optimization and manufacturing.
Kourosh (Ken) Youssefi, Lecturer.
Emeritus Faculty
Jyh-Yuan Chen, Professor Emeritus. Computational modeling of reactive systems, turbulent flows, combustion chemical kinetics.
Research Profile
George C. Johnson, Professor Emeritus. X-rays, plasticity, elasticity, instrumentation, sensors, acoustoelasticity, materials behavior, materials characterization, texture analysis, thin shells deformation, ultrasonic stress analysis.
Research Profile
* Dennis K. Lieu, Professor Emeritus. Actuators, magnetics, acoustics, electromechanical devices, rolling elements, spindle motors, structural mechanics.
Research Profile
Stephen Morris, Professor Emeritus. Continuum mechanics, micro mechanics of solid-solid phase changes, interfacial phenomena (evaporating thin films), electroporation .
Research Profile
Patrick J. Pagni, Professor Emeritus. Fire safety engineering science: fire physics, fire modeling, compartment fire growth, flamespread, flame shapes and heights, excess pyrolyzates, soot formation, backdrafts, glass breaking in compartment fires, explosions, gravity currents, salt water modeling, self-heating to ignition, brand lofting, urban/wildland intermix and post-earthquake conflagrations.
Robert F. Sawyer, Professor Emeritus. Air pollutant formation and control, motor vehicle emissions, energy and environment, regulatory policy.
Benson H. Tongue, Professor Emeritus. Nonlinear dynamics, vibrations, modal analysis, numerical modeling, acoustics.
Paul K. Wright, Professor Emeritus. 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 Emeritus. 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 Emeritus. 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 Emeritus. 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
Contact Information
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
210 Hearst Memorial Mining Building
Phone: 510-642-3801
Fax: 510-643-5792
Department Chair, Materials Science and Engineering
Lane Martin, PhD
216 Hearst Memorial Mining Building
Department Chair, Mechanical Engineering
Chris Dames, PhD
6107 Etcheverry Hall
Phone: 510-643-2582