Katie Clayton, Ph.D. candidate under Steven Wereley, just won 1st place at the International Conference on Bioengineering and Nanotechnology poster competition. She also is part of PathVis, a biomedical startup that won 2nd place and $15,000 at Purdue's Burton D. Morgan Business Plan Competition, and is now headed to the largest graduate-level startup competition, the Rice Business Plan Competition in Texas. Good luck Katie!

Purdue University Mechanical Engineering has been ranked the #8 graduate school in the country (#4 among public schools) by U.S. News & World Report.

Developed by Purdue ME students as part of their senior design project, the Clutch Crutch allows injured people to walk comfortably, while still being able to use both arms to open doors, hold books, etc. Patented by the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, the students are hoping to license the technology and bring the product to market.

FIRST Robotics came to West Lafayette, Indiana nearly two decades ago. They have since forged a partnership with Purdue University, as engineering students mentor high school students in designing, building, and testing competitive robots. The students volunteer their time, and also get class credit. Mentor Steve Florence says that FIRST is "one of the best job development programs in education. If an employer sees you have FIRST experience on your resume, they know you have great skills in teamwork and open-ended problem solving."

Carl Wassgren, professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering, has been named a recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in Memory of Charles B. Murphy. Wassgren is one of just 5 faculty on campus to receive this recognition.

By refreshing the curriculum, Purdue Mechanical Engineering delivers undergraduates new hands-on experiences in systems, measurements, and controls.

Congratulations to Monika Ivantysynova, who will receive an honorary doctorate from Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) in Finland. The university specifically cited Ivantysynova's "valuable contribution to the development of mechanical engineering research at LUT," and her leadership of organizations "that evaluate Finnish mechanical engineering research." Ivantysynova is director of Purdue's Maha Fluid Power Research Center and a professor in both the School of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. She came to Purdue in 2004. Her research involves developing hydraulic systems that eliminate the use of valves now needed to control the flow of hydraulic fluid, promising to lead to more compact, lightweight hydraulic technology that use less energy than conventional systems.

Jack Clark spent 28 years with Alcoa, so the man knows his aluminum. He's currently Senior Vice President of Manufacturing Excellence and Chief Technical Officer for Constellium, a worldwide aluminum manufacturer. Jack says his degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue helped him master not just the technical aspects of his job, but the cultural and managerial aspects as well.

Congratulations to our Distinguished Engineering Alumni award winners for 2017: James Greenleaf (MSES '66, Ph.D. '70), Mayo Clinic; Jennifer Rumsey (BSME '96), Cummins Inc.; and Donald Ufford (MSME '89), Ford Motor Company. The Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award is presented to engineering alumni who have distinguished themselves in any field of endeavor that reflects favorably on Purdue University, the engineering profession, or society in general.

Anchors aweigh! Purdue is helping the US Navy take advantage of the newest alternative energy technologies, including nanocomposites, portable hydrogen, and advanced thermal management. The U.S. Navy Enterprise Partnership Teaming with Universities for National Excellence (NEPTUNE) includes ME research professor Justin Weibel and professor Kejie Zhao.