Welcome to Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington.
Society needs problem solvers, and it’s our mission to make the problem-solving opportunities we offer — in learning, teaching, research and service to Washington and the world — accessible to everyone.
Here in UW ME, our success has long been built on rethinking traditional notions of mechanical engineering and channeling the energy and creativity of our communities into a vision for a better future. In pursuit of that vision, we take engineering knowledge founded in understanding real-world systems and apply it to challenges in robotics, advanced manufacturing, human health, sustainability and the other important areas that contribute to the betterment of society. As we do, it’s our responsibility to play an active role in building a more just and equitable society and to make progress toward the ideals enshrined in the UW’s mission for public good.
Collaboration is truly at the center of everything we do in ME. Our faculty and students partner closely with teams from industry and academia to carry ideas into action in the form of new devices, applications and demonstrations. As leaders and members of world-class research centers, like the Boeing Advanced Research Collaboration and the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems, we partner with colleagues across disciplines to advance important scientific concepts and cutting-edge technologies.
In order to make broad and profound impacts, we combine fundamental scientific advances with tangible action toward important problems facing society. Professional engineers contribute to teaching classes and advising students in cooperation with our faculty and our undergraduate curriculum structure emphasizes hands-on, project-based work through efforts like the Industry Capstone program and Engineering Innovation in Health. These programs take the engineering experience beyond the classroom, teaching students how to approach real-world problems by focusing on a single challenge over multiple academic terms. These projects have been a launching point for many important innovations, and we are proud to be one of the UW’s leading departments for generating startups and patents.
We believe strongly that education and research should go hand-in-hand. We have seen that this equips our students with a versatile skillset and a resolute mindset to go on to success in an array of future pursuits. As a major international university located in one of the world’s great centers of innovation, our success is built on welcoming diverse points of view, embracing difficult challenges and not being afraid to take risks.
Alberto Aliseda, Chair of Mechanical Engineering and PACCAR Endowed Professor