UPDATE FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD

Dear Friends and Alumni,

It is a privilege to be named head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The department is deeply rooted in the history of NC State, stretching back to the Mechanical Arts program in NC State's inaugural year over 120 years ago, and I am proud to be a part of that tradition.

The department continues to be strong and is growing with high demand by employers for AE and ME graduates and strong interest from students who request to matriculate into our programs. The MAE department now has the largest enrollment of the nine departments in the College of Engineering and the second largest enrollment in the University. In 2006 we graduated 49 BSAE, 14 MSAE, and 2 PhDAE students, as well as, 189 BSME, 26 MSME, and 14 PhDME students. It is gratifying to have played a role in the development of so many students. There are many exciting things happening in the department, some highlighted in this newsletter, including current research into alternate fuels, environmentally friendly lubricants, ultra-light weight high-strength materials,as well as adaptive wings for improved flight efficiency, and the initiation of a new student club activity focusing on hybrid electric vehicles.

I am excited and pleased to announce that we broke ground in February on Engineering Building III (EBIII), the future home of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering on NC State's Centennial Campus.The department will share the 248,200-square foot building with the NCSU/UNC Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering. The investment in EBIII reflects the confidence of the North Carolina General Assembly and NC State University that engineering is important to the success of our great state and global economy. Our department is now planning to add 10 new faculty positions in the next few years. These new positions will add to our expertise in biomechanical engineering and rehabilitation sciences, nanotechnology, energy and environmental systems, advanced materials and manufacturing, robotics and sensors technology and space systems. The new building and the growth of our faculty are being planned to give our students greater opportunities and experiences.

You, our alumni, are a key part of our plan. Your leadership and accomplishments are important sources of strength, and your continued interest, involvement, and support of the department will help us achieve our plans. I invite you to regularly visit our departmental web site at www.mae.ncsu.edu. I hope you enjoy this edition of our newsletter. If you have questions, suggestions, or want to know how you can help, please contact me at gould@ncsu.edu.

Best regards,
Richard D. Gould