May 01, 2024  
2024-2025 University of Wyoming Catalog 
    
2024-2025 University of Wyoming Catalog

Department of Mechanical Engineering


2052 Engineering Building, (307) 766-2122
Web site:
www.uwyo.edu/mechanical
E-mail: me.info@uwyo.edu
Department Head: Ray S. Fertig III

Professors:

RAY S. FERTIG III, B.S. University of Wyoming 2001; M.S. 2003; Ph.D. Cornell University 2010; Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering 20232017, 2011.

JONATHAN W. NAUGHTON, B.S. Cornell University 1986; Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University 1993; Professor of Mechanical Engineering 2012, 1997.

Associate Professors:

ERICA L. BELMONT, B.S. Tufts University 2004; M.S. 2008; Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin 2014; Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering 2020, 2014.

MICHAEL STOELLINGER, M.S. Technical University Munich 2005; Ph.D. University of Wyoming 2010; Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering 2018, 2012.

Assistant Professors:

XIANG ZHANG, B.S. Northeastern University (China) 2009; M.S. Beihang University (China) 2012; Ph.D. Vanderbilt University 2017; Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering 2019.

Instructional Professors:

LEVI J. KIRBY, B.S. Western Illinois University 2017; M.S. 2018; Ph.D. University of Iowa 2023; Assistant Instructional Professor of Mechanical Engineering 2023.

RAMSANKAR VEERAKUMAR, B.S University of Kerala (India) 2005; M.S. Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS Pilani) 2014.  Ph.D. Iowa State University 2021.  Assistant Instructional Professor of Mechanical Engineering 2021.

Lecturers:

KARI STRUBE, BS in Electrical Engineering (bioengineering option), University of Wyoming 2007.  MS in Electrical Engineering, University of Wyoming, 2009.  Assistant Lecturer, 2021

Professors Emeriti:

Dennis N. Coon, Paul A. Dellenback, Bruce R. Dewey, Andrew Hansen, Dimitri J. Mavriplis, Ovid A. Plumb, David E. Walrath

Mechanical Engineering B.S.

Mechanical Engineering is the broadest area of study in engineering. In contrast to other engineering disciplines, mechanical engineers are employed in significant percentages in almost all industrial and governmental organizations that employ engineers.

The spectrum of activities in which mechanical engineers are engaged continues to expand. The curriculum has in turn become flexible to allow for the education of mechanical engineering students in many diverse and allied areas, or for graduate school preparation.

The educational objectives of the of Mechanical Engineering B.S. prgram are to prepare students to:

  • Successfully practice the profession of engineering.
  • Demonstrate career growth (e.g. increasing complexity of job assignment, career promotions, professional registration, patents, publications, and completion of advanced degrees).
  • Apply Mechanical Engineering knowledge to find creative solutions to evolving challenges with global, economic, environmental, and societal impacts.
  • Successfully serve in a range of leadership and collaborative roles in the profession in the community.
  • Exhibit high professional standards and commitment to ethical action.

The undergraduate program includes a foundation in mathematics, science, and engineering sciences. The three key elements of the mechanical engineering undergraduate program include core engineering principles, laboratory experience, and development of communication skills.

The mechanical engineering curriculum affords the student the flexibility to pursue specific professional goals within the discipline. Such an opportunity needs to be carefully considered by each student, so that elective courses are chosen with these goals in mind. During the junior and senior years, the student selects 15 credit hours of technical electives.

Mechanical and Energy Systems Engineering degree candidates must meet the academic requirements of the college and in addition must have an average GPA of 2.000 (C) in Mechanical and/or Energy Systems engineering courses completed at this university. A grade of C or better must be earned in all engineering science (ES) and required mathematics courses.

Mechanical Engineering, B.S.  

Energy Systems Engineering B.S.

Energy Systems Engineering (ESE) is an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree offering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The ESE program was designed to train engineers to address one of this country’s foremost challenges: to achieve energy independence and  meet the growing demand for energy, while at the same time addressing critical environmental concerns. The program is intended to help meet these challenges by preparing students to be:

  • technology leaders in energy conversion and environmental protection systems
  • capable managers in the energy industry
  • versatile overseers of energy development by the governmental sector
  • technically-trained and environmentally-sensitive liaisons between the energy industry and the public.

ESE students will be trained in alternative and environmentally-friendly energy conversion systems, as well as more traditional technologies that will continue to play an important role for the foreseeable future.

Although the discipline of mechanical engineering has historically been responsible for the design of energy conversion cycles and equipment, issues outside the conventional realms of engineering are increasingly important to address as new and improved energy conversion systems are implemented. The engineer trained in Energy Systems will be better equipped than traditional mechanical engineers to deal with the environmental, legal, political, economic, and permitting aspects of new energy projects.

The educational objectives of the of Energy Systems Engineering B.S. prgram are to prepare students to:

  • Successfully practice the profession of engineering.
  • Demonstrate career growth (e.g. increasing complexity of job assignment, career promotions, professional registration, patents, publications, and completion of advanced degrees).
  • Apply Energy Systems Engineering knowledge to find creative solutions to evolving challenges with global, economic, environmental, and societal impacts.
  • Successfully serve in a range of leadership and collaborative roles in the profession in the community.
  • Exhibit high professional standards and commitment to ethical action.

The ESE degree has many coursework requirements in common with the Mechanical Engineering degree, particularly in the thermal, fluids, and energy conversion sciences. However, the ESE program emphasizes energy conversion aspects of Mechanical Engineering and requires coursework from UW’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR), course work in environmental law, and electives picked from a list of classes that focus attention on energy and the environment. The ENR courses expose students to issues related to permitting such as preparation of environmental impact studies, and related regulations such as the Endangered Species Act. In addition, technical electives allow students to choose more detailed study in personal areas of interest including, for example, courses in environmental engineering, wind engineering, solar engineering, and petroleum engineering.

Mechanical and Energy Systems Engineering degree candidates must meet the academic requirements of the college and in addition must have an average GPA of 2.000 (C) in Mechanical and/or Energy Systems engineering courses completed at this university. A grade of C or better must be earned in all engineering science (ES) and required mathematics courses.

Energy Systems Engineering, B.S.  

Concurrent ME/ESE Degrees

In the event that a student desires concurrent majors in ME and ESE, University policy requires that ALL requirements for each program are met. The student must select which will be the primary major.

Graduate Study

The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers graduate study leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Mechanical Engineering. Faculty in Mechanical Engineering conduct research in the areas of aerodynamics, biomaterials, composite materials, computational material science, computational fluid dynamics, combustion, continuum mechanics, heat transfer, materials reliability, mechanical behavior of materials, nanomechanics of surfaces and interfaces, and wind energy.

Department Specific Graduate Admission Requirements

Applicants should possess a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering with a minimum GPA of 3.000 on a 4.000 grade scale or equivalent. Students that do not hold B.S.M.E. degrees may qualify as M.S. candidates by completing, without credit, certain prerequisite courses as specified by the Department. These prerequisites would depend upon the candidate’s background and upon the area in which he/ she plans to specialize.

A minimum composite score of 294 (MS) or 307 (PhD) on the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the GRE is required for admission to the Mechanical Engineering Department. For international students, a minimum TOEFL score of 90 on the Internet-based test (iBT) (or a minimum IELTS score >=  6.5 or a DuoLingo  >= 110) is required. If an international applicant wishes to be considered for Graduate Teaching Assistantship funding, the following minimum English Proficiency must be met: OPI >= Advanced Mid, TOEFL Speaking >= 23, IELTS Speaking >= 6.5, DuoLingo Conversation & Production (average) >= 110. If an international applicant wishes to be considered for Graduate Teaching Assistantship funding, the applicant should also submit the results of an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI).  Please contact the UW English Language Center (http://www.uwyo.edu/study-iep-esl/grad-ta-support/index.html) if you have questions regarding the English proficiency requirements.  Admittance to the graduate program is competitive, and the average applicant that is accepted with assistantship support will likely have well above the minimum qualifications.

In order to apply, please submit the following via the University of Wyoming’s online application system (http://www.uwyo.edu/admissions/apply.html): resume, copy of academic transcript, copy of GRE scores, copies of TOEFL (or IELTS or DuoLingo) scores for international non-native English speaking applicants, three letters of reference, and a Statement of Purpose indicating the applicant’s techni­cal area of interest, abilities, and objectives in completing a graduate degree in mechanical engineering. If you are applying for the BS/MS program, please choose “QuickStart - Mechanical Engineering BS/MS” as the program (no GRE score and Statement of Purpose are needed for the BS/MS application). Applicants to the joint MBA/MS-ME program should chose the MS degree program for the application. To be considered for Assistantships, applications must be submitted before March 15 for the Fall semester or October 15 for the Spring semester.
 
For Quickstart B.S./M.S. admissions requirement, see degree link below.

Programs

    MajorGraduateQuickStart Program

    Courses