The Pursuit of Innovative Technology
The technological advances of the last century have contributed tremendously to the quality of life for society, and have set the stage for a spectacular expansion in the potential of engineering to profoundly impact the global community. Our mission in the Department of Engineering is to lead the development of research programs to seize the opportunities presented by evolving and emerging technologies. The accelerating convergence of disciplines is producing new fields for investigation, and DU researchers are using interdisciplinary perspectives to anticipate new realities and opportunities.
Research is important to our educational mission in many ways: the discovery of new technological frontiers, development of new applications, preparation of research professionals, and enhancing the quality of undergraduate and graduate teaching. We incorporate our research into the department’s pedagogy so that our students receive a state-of-the-art education that better prepares them for the real-life challenges they will face upon leaving the university or moving on to academic research careers.
Our undergraduate program provides students access to some of the latest laboratories. Students are exposed to computer-aided engineering, rapid prototyping technology, wired classrooms and automated control and data acquisition tools. These high-tech environments not only accelerate the learning process, but more importantly, they provide experience in using state-of-the-art technology to solve engineering problems. As a result, our students graduate with skills in the most technologically current engineering tools, giving them the edge to stay current as new technologies emerge.
The research component in our graduate programs is an important aspect of our mission to be a leader in the development of innovative technology. Our existing research programs provide a platform for new initiatives that will take advantage of emerging trends in societal needs and technology. For example, it is exciting to consider the profound impact the convergence of biology, information, and nanotechnology will have on the future of engineering. It has become clear that bioengineering will play an increasingly important role in defining the future of medicine and human health. The shrinking of engineering devices to micro and nano scales, and the accelerating pace of integration and application in sensing and control devices are opening a world of new possibilities. The Department of Engineering is already anticipating the future with innovative new graduate programs in bioengineering and mechatronics. Some current areas of research include:
- Computer Engineering
- rapid prototyping of digital and biosensor systems; computer architecture; design and testing of VLSI systems; modeling and simulation of digital optical networks and systems
- Electrical Engineering
- electromagnetics; microwave antennas; communications and digital signal processing; semiconductor processing; optoelectronics; photonics devices and systems; digital signal processing (speech)
- Mechanical Engineering
- mechanics of materials, fatigue, and fracture mechanics; spray atomization; super critical fluid behavior; pharmaceutical processing; biomechanics; computational mechanics; atmospheric environment; instrumentation; thermodynamics; mechanisms and mechanics; intelligent controls; smart structures; robotics; biomedical devices; sensors and actuators; electric power systems; health monitoring
- Materials Science
- acoustic emission; SEM; mechanical testing; applied mechanics and materials science; nondestructive evaluation and high-tech materials; polymer-based fiber composites
If you are an undergraduate student interested in a distinctive research component in your education, or if you are looking for a graduate program that will provide professional training in the latest fields, please take a closer look at our programs. The faculty roster indicates the wide range of research interests in the department. Please feel free to contact individual faculty members for additional information on their research programs. We look forward to having you join us in our research efforts.