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98 Graduate students

1,013 Undergraduates

$70K ME Average starting salary

NACE Summer 2023

Explore Graduate offerings

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering offers programs of study leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering. Graduate students will have the opportunity to work closely with internationally recognized faculty members on research at the leading edge of technology

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Explore our undergraduate programs

We are proud to offer the only undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering in the state of Kentucky! Mechanical engineers apply their expertise to the design, development and mass production of everything from rocket propulsion systems to appliances.

Learn more and explore all our undergraduate offerings!

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People

With over 30 full-time faculty members dedicated to teaching and research, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering supports research in numerous relevant fields. We advance aerospace research and often work with NASA on research methods for its future missions. Mechanical and aerospace engineering is a diverse discipline, and our robust faculty is engaged in every aspect of it.

View our People

31 Full-time faculty members

Mechanical Engineering Enhancement Fund

Support the Fund

Gifts to the Mechanical Engineering Enhancement Fund can supplement existing operating budgets or provide revenue that can be directed toward emerging needs and opportunities such as scholarships, faculty support, facility enhancement and unrestricted support for departments. This valuable support allows the college to be flexible and responsive and demonstrate the truth that there is power in numbers.

 

Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing

The Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing pioneers new manufacturing standards that respect the planet’s resources.

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Institute of Research for Technological Development

Our Institute of Research for Technological Development (IR4TD) explores fire research, painting technology research, lean manufacturing systems and more.

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Department News

14th Ablation Workshop

In November, University of Kentucky Pigman College of Engineering faculty provided a platform for experts to exchange ideas and innovations in hypersonic atmospheric reentry, materials science and space exploration technologies at the 14th Ablation Workshop at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Lu Elected SAE Fellow

In May, Y. Charles Lu, Ph.D., director of the UK Engineering Paducah Campus and H.E. Katterjohn Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, was named to the 2023 class of Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Fellows.  Established in 1975, the Fellow grade membership recognizes and honors long-term members who have made a significant impact on society's mobility technology through leadership, research and innovation.

Ralph G. Anderson enshrined into Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame

Anderson, a 1950 UK mechanical engineering graduate and founder of Belcan Corporation, was one of three inducted in a formal ceremony held in Lexington on Oct. 19.

UK team participated in Small-UAS Coordination for Atmospheric Low-Level Environmental Sampling measurement campaign

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering recently sent a team of 12 faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students to Tulsa, Oklahoma to participate in a Small-UAS Coordination for Atmospheric Low-Level Environmental Sampling (SCALES) measurement campaign.

Tracy Drain featured in LabX and The Science and Entertainment Exchange's 'I Was Born' series

Tracy Drain '98 shares her journey from UK mechanical engineering undergraduate to NASA engineer for the Europa Clipper in a video for the National Academy of Sciences' LabX.

8 faculty and 8 graduate students named Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholars

Established in 2024, the Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment supports faculty, research, graduate students, facilities and research infrastructure in the Pigman College of Engineering. In its inaugural year, the endowment has made $160,000 in funds available for distribution, with a priority on faculty and research scholar support.

NASA Kentucky Space Grant Consortium and EPSCoR Programs

NASA Kentucky

In partnership with NASA’s National Space Grant College & Fellowship Program, the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium provides opportunities in aerospace-related research and education for Kentucky colleges, universities, community colleges, non-profits, and industry affiliates. More information available at NASA Kentucky Space Grant.

Contact NASA KY

Dr. Alexandre Martin, Director

Phone: 859-218-NASA (218-6272)
E-mail: nasa@uky.edu

Associate Director:
Jacob Owen   859-323-4542

Visit the NASA KY website