Department Chair's Message

Welcome to the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department!

Adrienne Lavine MAE Department Chair

We are pleased to share with you in our webpages some of the exciting undertakings and news in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Department.  As you look through our website, it will be obvious that our greatest resource is our people – the faculty, students, and staff who contribute to our research and educational programs.  Our faculty are working on a broad range of research topics that benefit society, including pediatric heart valves, radio frequency identification, nanoscale materials and processes, aerospace applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles and supersonic-hypersonic platforms for air launched small missile flight testbeds, energy initiatives such as air-power-assisted engine technology for direct energy recovery and load-bearing energy harvesting structures, and bioengineering projects relating to biodefense, emerging infectious diseases, and biomimetic corneal constructs.  And this is only a small fraction of the research projects being undertaken by our talented and creative faculty and graduate students.

You will also see that our faculty have won many accolades – we have 27 society fellows and nine members of the National Academy of Engineering (three regular faculty, three affiliated faculty, and three emeriti).  In the 2005-06 academic year, our faculty had $25 million available to support research ($15 million in research expenditures), resulting in 173 publications.

Our graduate students are an exceptional group.  They gather from around the world to learn from our renowned faculty and each other.  Master of Science students come to deepen their understanding of mechanical and aerospace engineering.  Doctoral students are the lifeblood of department research as they conduct original, cutting-edge investigations in faculty laboratories.  In the 2005-06 academic year, our department granted 23 Ph.D. and 48 M.S. degrees.

We are proud to serve the citizens of California and beyond by providing a world-class education to our undergraduate students, as well.  Our undergraduates have excelled in high school and come to us prepared to take advantage of the challenging educational environment we provide.  They have the opportunity to study with faculty who enliven their classes by virtue of their research expertise and who invite undergraduates to perform research alongside graduate students.  Our undergraduates are also involved in a range of student society activities, such as the AIAA Design/Build/Fly competition, the ASME Mini-Baja competition, the Society of Automotive Engineers Supermileage Vehicle, and our DracUCLA entry in the Robogames.

Our staff are the “unsung heroes” who make possible our research and educational programs.  We are also fortunate to have strong connections with alumni, industrial affiliates and advisory board, and other friends.  They provide guidance, crucial financial support, partnerships on technology initiatives, and jobs for our graduates.  We appreciate all of these contributions greatly.

UCLA, the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the MAE department value diversity.  By bringing the most talented people from all backgrounds and from around the world to the study and practice of engineering, an engineering career will continue to be a means for social mobility.  In addition, engineering innovations will continue to benefit our increasingly diverse society.  We strive to attract students and faculty who are diverse in all dimensions, including gender, socioeconomic background, race, and ethnicity.  We see continued progress but know that we have further to go.  I am proud that our faculty and students are involved in initiatives to attract traditionally underrepresented minority students into engineering.  So, whatever your background, if you are interested in joining a vibrant department committed to excellence, please peruse our website and consider UCLA’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department.

MAE Department Chair