ME Department Graduate Programs Town Hall

Professional Development Track

with Danesh Tafti and Allison Jones,
Virginia Tech

September 26, 2025, 2:30 PM
Torgersen Hall 2150​

Over the past year, the Department of Mechanical Engineering has undergone a significant review and revision of graduate curriculum and policies related to graduate programs. In this seminar, we will give students and faculty a snapshot of the current state of the graduate programs in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and discuss changes related to graduate curriculum, policies, and processes that will impact graduate students. Specifically, we will introduce proposed curricular changes to the ME program, discuss satisfactory academic progress as it relates to degree progression and completion, and review specific milestones that are used to define satisfactory academic progress. We will also review how funding is allocated to students and factors influencing eligibility for specific types of funding. Finally, we will end with an open Q and A session.

Danesh Tafti has been a faculty member in the department for 23 years and currently is the Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies. He has also served as the Interim Department Head from 2014-2015. Before joining Virginia Tech, he held positions of Senior Research Scientist and Associate Director at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the Univ. of Illinois Urbana Champaign. His research spans computational modeling of propulsion, energy, and biological systems.

Allison Jones has worked in higher education administration for over 20 years. She has been a member of the VT ME graduate program support team since 2019, serving as the Program Manager for DC area and virtual programs before moving into the role of Director of Graduate Programs. Previously, she served in program administration roles in medical education at Georgetown University and UCLA. Ms. Jones specializes in process improvement and assessment in higher education.