About Us
A Message From Our Chair
Dr. Rajiv Dubey - Mechanical Engineering
Welcome to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Florida! Mechanical Engineering is the broadest of engineering disciplines that offers a variety of career choices. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal devices, including tools, engines, and machines. Mechanical engineers work mostly in engineering services, research and development, manufacturing industries, and the federal government.
The Mechanical Engineering Department at USF has approximately 1000 undergraduates and 200 graduate students. Our students come from over 40 countries. Our engineering graduates are making a deep impact on the society. Several of our alumni are successful entrepreneurs and hold senior positions in large corporations. Our students are in great demand with lucrative job offers by local, regional, national and international companies including Boeing, Honeywell, Siemens, Motorola, Honda, Lockheed, TECO, P&G, Jabil, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Harris, and Raytheon. According to the 2017 NACE salary survey, Mechanical Engineering is among the 10 top paid majors (also highest in the total number of new jobs among engineering majors) with average starting salary of $65,557.
Our faculty members are committed to conducting research as a means of improving society, increasing the nation's prosperity, and maintaining up-to-date teaching instruction. Most of the research in the department is interdisciplinary and collaborative. Areas of research include robotics, biomedical and tissue engineering, nanomaterials and nanomanufacturing, micro electromechanical systems, biosensors and biofluids, clean energy technologies, compliant mechanisms, rehabilitation engineering, system dynamics and vibrations, composite materials, and sustainable designs. Sponsors include government agencies such as NSF, DOE, DOD and NASA, non-profit organizations, and also the private sector.
With collaboration among faculty, graduate students and undergraduates, we have achieved national and international prominence for our research and teaching efforts. Our faculty and students have received a large number of patents through innovative research as well as design courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The program has active student sections of ASME and SAE centered on national and international design competitions. Two-thirds of the undergraduate mechanical engineering students belong to ASME. As a result, students who actively participate are able to expand their education while building professional networks in the Tampa community.
The department has nine professional society fellows, several prestigious national and university teaching award winners including the 2012 US Professor of the Year, five NSF CAREER awardees, and one NSF PECASE awardee.