Department News Briefs

Amy Elliott, a 2013 PhD graduate in Mechanical Engineering and a group leader for robotics and intelligent systems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has received both an International Additive Manufacturing Award and a 40 under 40 superlative.

Ling Li sat down with Marwa ElDiwiny on the Soft Robotics Podcast to discuss shells in nature, how they are composed, and how they manage damage.

A team of undergraduates has been awarded the Robert W. Young Award for Undergraduate Research in Acoustics from the Acoustical Society of America for a biomimetic bat robot.

Jia Mi, PhD candidate and graduate research assistant in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been named to serve on the inaugural Board of Directors of University Marine Energy Research Community. There are 10 seats on the Board of Directors and Jia Mi is the only student representative.

Azim Eskandarian delivered an invited talk at the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation of University of Michigan, for CCAT Distinguished Lecture Series, entitled, "Autonomous and Connected Vehicle Safety" on Nov. 30, 2021.

Jettie Eloise McCoy, 79, passed away on November 24, 2021. She was a friend and colleague of many in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, dedicating 24 years to the department before retiring as a Senior Program Support Technician in 2005.

In the lab of Bahareh Behkam, a team of researchers have created a bacterial robot platform capable of thriving in low-oxygen condition, able to target cancer cells.

Two team members from Mechanical Engineering participated in the fall GEM Fellowship review with four other Virginia Tech colleagues. The GEM Fellowship facilitates partnerships between companies and member institutions to fund graduate education for URM students in STEM fields and place these students in paid internships and jobs.