The faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering is very active in research and graduate education, with degrees offered at both the master's and doctoral levels. In keeping with the broad technical mission of mechanical engineering education, the department has both the faculty expertise and the facilities to conduct a wide variety of design, analysis, and testing functions. The primary research strengths of the faculty are in the areas of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, mechanical systems, mechanics, materials, and manufacturing.

• The current research projects in the heat transfer/fluid mechanics area include:  Computational Fluid Dynamics, Heat Exchanger Design, Heat Transfer Enhancement, Energy Conservation, Thermal and Fluid Systems Modeling, Advanced HVAC Technology, and Uncertainty Analysis.
  
• The current research projects in the mechanical systems/materials area include: Finite Element Analysis, Metal Casting Technology, Surface Coatings, Friction Stir Welding, and Composite Materials.