About Us

Introduction

What is Mechanical Engineering?

An engineering profession that solves problems related to mechanical, materials, fluids, thermal, and environmental systems.

A profession that spends time being creative and innovative. It appeals to students who like to think and find new solutions to new and existing challenges.

A profession academically equipped to work in a broad spectrum of industries such as oil, manufacturing, aerospace, power generation, chemical, automotive, air-conditioning and refrigeration, energy conservation, environmental and others. Virtually every type of industry employs mechanical engineers.

Educational Quality

Excellent Faculty!! The Ole Miss Mechanical Engineering faculty have distinguished themselves with numerous national and university-wide teaching awards. The department has quality teaching faculty which is the essence of a good program; program is ABET accredited.

Quality Students!! Many of our students receive the top academic awards and scholarships during their undergraduate studies at UM and graduate studies at UM and/or other outstanding institutions. Good students help to stimulate and develop the best in their classmates, and to maintain high academic standards.

Excellent Computer Facilities!! State-of-the-art personal computers, main frame computers, and a super computer are readily available and routinely used as engineering tools throughout the curriculum.

Up-to-Date Engineering Laboratories!! The program has quality teaching laboratories in structures and dynamics, materials science, energy and fluids, electrical circuits, and computer aided engineering.

Size!! The size (12 to 1 student to faculty ratio) of our program allows for close interaction between students and faculty. Obtain a private school education at state college costs.

Major Areas of Undergraduate Study

Foundational Courses: Calculus (with Elementary Differential Equations), Chemistry, Physics, Engineering Analysis, English, Social Sciences, Humanities/Fine Arts.

Basic Engineering Courses: Graphics, Mechanics, Materials, Thermodynamics, Electric Circuit Theory, Fluid Mechanics, Computer Science, Systems, Introduction to Design.

Mechanical Engineering Professional Courses: Gas Dynamics, Turbo-machinery, Applied Fluid Mechanics, Kinematic Synthesis, Dynamics of Machinery, Heat Transfer, Senior Design Projects, Structures and Dynamics Lab, Energy and Fluids Lab, Materials Science Lab, and selected technical electives such as vibrations, composites, experimental methods, and concurrent engineering.

Location

The School of Engineering is housed in several buildings on the University campus. Carrier Hall, located on the main circle of University buildings, contains the Dean's Office and the departments of Civil Engineering, Geology and Geological Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Also located within Carrier Hall is the Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering. Anderson Hall, connected to Carrier Hall by a hallway, contains the departments of Chemical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Electrical Engineering also has research facilities in the Old Engineering Building located next to Carrier/Anderson Halls. To the west of Carrier Hall is the Old Chemistry Building which houses the Mississippi Mineral Resource Institute and laboratories for Geological Engineering. Weir Hall houses the department of Computer Science.

Location maps and building photographs of Carrier Hall on the University Circle, Anderson Hall overlooking the football stadium, and Weir Hall by the University Williams Library show the central location of the enginering building on campus. A virtual tour of the entire campus can also be taken to see a 360 degree view of several central campus sites.

History

Brief History of Mechanical Engineering Department

Subjects in engineering were first offered as early as 1854 at UM, but not a complete schedule leading to an engineering degree was established until much later. In 1900, the School of Engineering was organized and courses of study were offered covering four years of college work leading to a professional degree in engineering. Courses in mechanical engineering were initiated in the 1951/52 academic year. The ME department was officially organized with its first chair (Professor Tadeusz Czaki) and only faculty member in the 1952/53 academic year. In 1954 the Engineering School occupied its new quarters in Carrier Hall. In the 1956/57 academic year, graduate work was begun in mechanical engineering and the department had grown to 3 faculty members. Professor James R. Macdonald became the second ME chair during the academic year 1957/58 and by 1959/60 the department had grown to 4 total faculty members. In the academic year 1967/68, Professor John A. Fox became the third chair and by 1970/71 the department had grown to seven total faculty. At the beginning of the 1986/87 academic year Professor Jeffrey A. Roux became the fourth ME chair and today the ME department is composed of 8.25 faculty members; there are approximately 100 undergraduate and 35 graduate students affiliated with the ME department and its faculty.

Credentials

A key strength in the ME department is the dedication, commitment, and credentials of our faculty toward quality teaching and keeping current through a healthy balance of research and participation in professional societies.

Four of our faculty have been awarded the Ralph R. Teetor Engineering Educational Award; this is a national engineering educators award given by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Four of our faculty have been selected as the Engineering School Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year Award; this is based on teaching, research, and service. Three of our faculty have been awarded the University Faculty Achievement Award for teaching and scholarship; this is a University wide award. One of our faculty has been awarded the Elsie M. Hood Award; this award is in recognition of the most outstanding teacher in the entire University. Two of our faculty are HEADWAE (Higher Education Appreciation Day Working for Academic Excellence) award recipients; this award is given by the Mississippi State Legislature and recognizes outstanding faculty in the state. Also the ME department has two faculty members who are Frederick A.P. Barnard Distinguished Professors. One of our faculty has received the ASME Region XI Meritorous Service Award and another has received the ASME Region XI John 'Jack' A. Shortall Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award. Recently one of our ME faculty was awarded the first-ever Engineering School Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award.

As evidenced by the above credentials, our faculty have a first commitment to quality teaching which is balanced with a healthy participation in research. Another strength is the use and availability of good computer facilities in the ME department. Our program is strong in its emphasis on good written and verbal communication skills. The size of our program (smallness) gives us an opportunity to know our students on a first name basis. The small size of the classes is of tremendous advantage in the design and laboratory courses, although our enrollment could increase without sacrificing this advantage. The engineering science orientation of our program develops a student well-based in basic principles. Our students are educated for a long-term career in engineering.