Have you ever wondered, what happens when a spacecraft plunges through a planet’s atmosphere? Dan Fries knows it encounters searing temperatures, powerful shock waves and chemically reactive gases — conditions that can push even the most advanced heat shields to their limits.
Fazleena Badurdeen, Ph.D., Earl Parker Robinson Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and director of the graduate certificate in manufacturing systems engineering, has been named the director of the Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing (ISM) in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.
As the United States pushes to accelerate innovation, researchers from the University of Kentucky will play a leading role in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission.
Scott Berry, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, has been honored as a 2026-27 University Research Professor.
The Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment has announced the 17 researchers in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering awarded for fiscal year 2027. Established in 2024, the Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment’s purpose is to advance research in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering through three strategic priorities:
The Halcomb Family Endowed Fellowship in Medicine and Engineering was awarded to two graduate students in the Stanley and Pigman College of Engineering to incentivize the development of patient-centered clinical solutions that advance health care and improve patient outcomes.
Michael Renfro, Ph.D., will serve as interim dean of the Pigman College of Engineering, effective June 1. Renfro joined UK in 2015 as a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and served as chair of the department until 2023. He currently serves as the associate dean for faculty affairs and facilities.
When NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts on a path around the moon — farther from Earth than any humans have traveled in decades — the world watched in awe. Yet, one of the most critical parts of the journey remained invisible. For a team of faculty, staff and students in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering at University of Kentucky, that unseen work is their expertise.
The Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering is proud to announce 1,085 engineering and computer science students included on the University of Kentucky Spring 2026 Dean's List. Students are eligible for the Dean’s List by meeting these requirements during the fall or spring semester:
