Robert Herschbach, Communications Manager

As we tell inspiring, real-world stories of research and educational initiatives, our purpose is to show impact. How is our work shaping a field? What applications will it support? How could it aid a business or industry in developing new products? Does it support public sector priorities, such as reining in environmental hazards and ensuring a sustainable future? Does it meet the national need for a highly skilled STEM workforce? Does it build opportunities, including for students who may come from disadvantaged backgrounds? Most importantly, how will it benefit people—that is, improve health, well-being, safety, and quality of life? We keep questions like these in the forefront as we communicate our news.

That includes, for example, examining the ways our faculty and researchers are responding to the clean energy challenge by providing a framework for the safe use of hydrogen energy. Or pointing to soft robotics research that could yield minimally invasive options for eye or brain surgery. Or showcasing new technologies developed through the Maryland Industrial Partnership Program. Or highlighting our GOALKits program, which has provided thousands of young people in Maryland and Washington, D.C., with experiential learning activities that teach engineering fundamentals. Across areas ranging from AI and robotics to quantum and nanotech, the world looks to our department for pioneering research and education.

Finally, we share stories of the aspirations and achievements of our undergraduate and graduate students. As they progress in their careers, whether as engineers or as consultants, executives, policymakers, or thought leaders, we bring them back to speak to the professional values that they learned while students in our department and showcase their continued engagement, including philanthropic support of scholarships, team-based design experiences, and career development.

You can engage with our stories through multiple channels: news articles and features on our website; our electronic newsletter, ME News; our social media platforms; and our annual print magazine, Metrics. We look forward to learning of your story!

Robert Herschbach
Communications Manager
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Maryland

 

Are you an alum with news to share? We regularly feature alumni news and stories in our print and digital products. To share your news, send an e-mail to mealumni@umd.edu.

Mechanical Engineering at Maryland is where many roads meet:

Our biannual showcase of capstone design projects features innovations in underwater drones and manipulators, assistive device technology, portable power generators, sensors, and propulsion systems.


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