News + Events

Read the latest announcements, media mentions and news for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. View all news here.

Dr. Ahmad Mohammadpanah awarded Killam Teaching Prize Apr 15, 2025
Recognizing his exceptional teaching and commitment to providing students with a dynamic, engaging and inclusive learning experience, Mechanical Engineering lecturer Dr. Ahmad Mohammadpanah has been awarded a 2024/25 Killam Teaching Prize. Recipients are nominated by their students, colleagues and alumni in acknowledgement of their excellence in teaching. As an instructor in UBC’s Mechanical Engineering and […]

Dr. Naomi Zimmerman nominated for YWCA Women of Distinction Awards Mar 05, 2025
Congratulations to Associate Professor Naomi Zimmerman on being nominated in the 42nd Annual YWCA Women of Distinction Awards in the category, “Research, the Sciences & Technology.” These awards recognize the extraordinary contributions of women in Metro Vancouver across ten categories, and seek to inspire change by celebrating the impact of outstanding women leaders. Involving local […]

UBC engineering professor appointed Seaspan chair to advance innovation in marine sector Nov 27, 2024
UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science and Seaspan Shipyards are pleased to announce a new faculty chair position with a focus on marine innovation in robotics and autonomy. As UBC's new Seaspan Chair in Robotics for Marine Vessels, Dr. Adrien Desjardins plans to use his expertise in sensing and robotics to develop innovations technologies for underwater environments.

Graduate Student Spotlight: MASc student Jess Tran is researching equity and social justice in informal engineering education Nov 20, 2024
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies interviews Mechanical Engineering MASc student Jess Tran about choosing to pursue graduate studies, research investigating engineering pedagogies and social justice, and what the UBC graduate student experience is like.

Alumni Spotlight: Engineering – A Career Path That Powers Possibilities Nov 18, 2024
This article is from UBC Engineering Student and Alumni Spotlights. “I had a real sense of pride that I was working on products that save people’s lives. That’s something that engineering instills in you: that your job is to protect the public.” Polly Zou Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science Program: Mechanical Engineering Campus: Vancouver Job: Associate, McKinsey & […]

Three Canada Research Chairs appointed at UBC Mechanical Engineering Nov 15, 2024
The Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program has named three UBC Mechanical Engineering faculty members as either new or renewed chairholders in their areas of expertise.  The CRC program strengthens Canadian research innovation by providing funding support to exceptional researchers, enabling them to dive deeply into their fields driving new discoveries. Tier 2 Chairs recognize “exceptional […]

Working to accelerate sustainable ship propulsion, Dr. Patrick Kirchen named Rosenblatt Professor in Marine Engineering Nov 13, 2024
Associate Professor Patrick Kirchen has been named the inaugural holder of the Rosenblatt Professorship in Marine Engineering at UBC. This new Professorship was made possible by Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates LLC, and provides five years of support for research and educational programming that accelerates the implementation of sustainable, low carbon intensity fuels in the […]

View past news here.

Learn about upcoming events, department tours, and expert seminars.

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  24th Apr 2025 | 10:00:am
  Seminar – Dr. Michele Terzano | Phenomenological modelling of soft biomaterials: The fundamental link between theory and experiment
  In this seminar, Dr. Terzano highlights the importance of linking theoretical modelling to experimental design, showing applications from our latest research on polymeric scaffolds and brain-mimicking hydrogels.

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  24th Apr 2025 | 5:30:pm
  NAME Student Design Celebration
  Join us for an evening of networking and dinner, while our NAME Master of Engineering students present their final ship design projects to Vancouver’s maritime industry. Learn what they’ve achieved and connect with the newest talent poised to enter industry.

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  8th May 2025 | 9:00:am
  Seminar – Dr. Alessandro Lucantonio: Physics-Based Model Discovery with Symbolic Regression
  In this structural matter seminar, Dr. Alessandro Lucantonio presents his research on advancing symbolic regression for model discovery, with a focus on developing new algorithms to uncover interpretable and accurate models for complex physical systems. Key areas of exploration include reduced-order modeling for fluid mechanics, robotic control, and fracture mechanics.

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  15th May 2025 | 1:00:pm
  Seminar – Dr. Shantanu Jathar | Studying the Emissions and Chemistry of Fire Aerosols: From Pyrolysis to Photochemical Reactors and Pile Burns to Plumes
  Distinguished Colloquium speaker Dr. Shantanu Jathar (CSU) explores fire aerosols and their atmospheric evolution across different spatial and temporal scales. He shares work from laboratory, field, and modeling studies aimed at understanding fire emissions, chemistry, and properties.

Upcoming Defences

Defences held in person are open to the public. Exams held via Zoom are listed here for information only and meeting details are not included; members of the public wishing to attend must contact graduate.doctoral@ubc.ca.

Defence: Sanyogita Manu – Apr 14, 2025 | 9:30 AM | TSC 103, Third Space Commons
A Systematic Investigation of Indoor Environmental Conditions, Worker Well-Being, and Performance in Work-from-Home Settings Candidate: Sanyogita Manu Date: Monday, April 14, 2025 Time: 9:30 AM Location: TSC 103, Third Space Commons (6363 Biological Sciences Rd)

Defence: Mrinmoy Chakraborty – Mar 20, 2025 | 9:00 AM | Zoom
An Indoor-Outdoor Assessment the Sources and Impacts of Air Pollution in Rural India: Linking Low-Cost Measurement, Modelling and Impact Assessment Candidate: Mrinmoy Chakraborty Date: Thusday, March 20, 2025 Time: 9:00 AM Location: Zoom Attendees should contact G+PS for the link 

Defence: Mohamed Hendy – Dec 9, 2024 | 12:30 PM | Room 200: Graduate Student Centre
Multi-scale Multi-physics Compositional Study of Energy Materials Candidate: Mohamed Hendy Date: Monday, December 9, 2024 Time: 12:30 PM Location: Room 200 of the Graduate Student Centre (6371 Crescent Road)

Defence: Ehsan Mirzaee – Dec 13, 2024 | 12:00 PM | Zoom
A Higher-Order Unstructured Finite Volume Solver for Three-Dimensional Turbulent Compressible Flows Candidate: Ehsan Mirzaee Date: Friday, December 13, 2024 Time: 12:00 PM Location: Zoom Attendees should contact G+PS for the link 

Defence: Jing Wang – Nov 29, 2024 | 9 AM | Room 200: Graduate Student Centre
Incorporation of Physics into Learning of Robot Vision and Dynamics Candidate: Jing Wang Date: Friday, November 29, 2024 Time: 9:00 AM Location: Room 200 of the Graduate Student Centre (6371 Crescent Road)

See recent calls for applications to graduate awards. View all awards and funding here.

Call for Nominations: Dean’s Graduate Awards | Deadline: May 30, 2025
The Dean’s Office has released the date for this year’s Faculty of Applied Science Dean’s Graduate Awards.   Please note that applications to these awards require a nomination letter. Nominations may come from a variety of individuals depending on the award guidelines which differ for each award. Please review the eligibility and document requirements carefully.  For […]

Spring Graduate Awards Competition – Apply by May 5, 2025
A number of university awards for the upcoming academic year are available to current and incoming graduate students.  The maximum value of funding that can be offered to a student is $16,000, or up to $22,000 for the #491 Rick Hansen “Man in Motion” Fellowship, or $25,000 for the #6495 Andrew Nord Fellowships in Rheumatology […]

British Columbia Graduate Scholarship (BCGS) – MASc & PhD – Apply by May 5, 2025
The province of British Columbia has funded BC Graduate Scholarships (BCGS) in any field of study, with emphasis on research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, and support for Indigenous students. Please find the details at the following site: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/british-columbia-graduate-scholarship Scholarship Value: $17,500 for one year Eligibility: Must be Canadian citizens or Permanent […]

Tri-Agency CGS Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements (MSFSS) – Spring Competition – Apply by May 16, 2025
CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC CGS Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements – Spring 2025 Competition The Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement (CGS-MSFSS) Program supports high-caliber Canadian graduate students in building global linkages and international networks through the pursuit of exceptional research experiences at research institutions abroad. By accessing international scientific research and training, CGS-MSFSS […]

Schmidt Science Fellowships: Apply by April 9, 2025
The Schmidt Science Fellows program provides the world’s best emerging scientists with new skills and perspectives to develop novel solutions to society’s challenges, become scientific and societal thought leaders, and accelerate ground-breaking discoveries.  The program is looking for the brightest minds in the natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, and computing who are interested in broadening their […]

RCAF Scholarships (undergraduate or graduate) – Applications Open Apr 22
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Foundation Scholarships open on April 22, 2025. Visit https://rcaffoundation.ca/student-scholarships for detailed information on how to apply. Designed to support Canada’s future aviation and aerospace leaders, these $1,000 scholarships are open to students 25 years old or younger who are entering or currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution in Canada. The scholarships aim to encourage […]

Google PhD Fellowship – Apply by Apr 7, 2025
Google PhD Fellowship The Google PhD Fellowship Program was created to recognize outstanding PhD graduate students doing exceptional work in computer science and related fields. The fellowship provides full tuition and fees (enrollment fees, health insurance, books) plus a stipend to be used for living expenses, travel and personal equipment for up to three years. […]