MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
 s you receive this newsletter, the faculty, staff
and students of the Department of Mechanical Engineering will be moving
into the newly expanded and renovated Mechanical Engineering Building
from scattered locations all around the College of Engineering. I encourage
all of our friends and alumni to visit us in the near future and look
around our new quarters. We have modern undergraduate laboratories,
multimedia lecture halls, versatile laboratories for supporting every
“flavor” of mechanical engineering research (bio, electro,
info, micro/nano, etc.), and lots of space for students to gather and
study. I am sure that you will agree that the architecture of the new
building is “classy,” reflecting the warmth and style of
the old building. We will dedicate the new building October 26 during
the 60th annual Engineers’ Day festivities, and all are welcome
to come.
Thinking about the four years of jack- hammering,
excavating and drilling that we have endured during the (re)construction
of our building leads me to look back even further and consider how
much has changed in the department during the last decade. Besides being
housed in a new building, we have gained some 17 new professors during
that time and a similar number have retired (about half of our professors).
The four new faculty members who are joining us this year vividly demonstrate
how mechanical engineering has evolved as a discipline. In addition
to being experts in the traditional areas of energy, mechanics, materials,
design and manufacturing, their areas of research expertise range from
biofuels to medical robotics to nanostructured surfaces to manufacturing
on an atomic scale. This is an exciting time for mechanical engineering,
and our department is well positioned to grow and contribute.
For eight years I have had the privilege of corresponding
with you on these pages as the chair of our department. This summer
I will turn that job over to Professor Roxann
Engelstad, with whom I am sure you will enjoy interacting. You may
have met her already if you have had the opportunity to get together
with fellow classmates and other friends and alumni at one of our alumni
receptions. If not, please consider attending when one is held in your
city or in a city near you; we really enjoy connecting with you. They
are a great way for you to network and meet alumni from other engineering
departments as well. I personally look forward to seeing you at such
events in the future, to seeing you again in Madison, and to also hearing
about your activities, challenges and successes.
Best regards,
Neil
A. Duffie, ME Professor and Chair
3065 Mechanical Engineering Building
1513 University Ave.
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: 608/262-9457
Fax: 608/265-2316
E-mail: duffie@engr.wisc.edu
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