PhD Qualifying Examination: Evan Muschler
Supervisory Committee Members: Corie Cobb | Faculty Advisor | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Brian Polagye | Departmental Representative | Department of Mechanical Engineering , John Kramlich | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Lilo Pozzo | Committee Member | Department of Chemical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Evan Muschler. Event Types: Academics.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
ME Chair's Distinguished Industry Lecture: Jake Smith, Microsoft
We are pleased to welcome Jake Smith from Microsoft for the spring ME Chair's Distinguished Industry Lecture.
The Chair's Distinguished Industry Lecture Series is designed to expose faculty and students to the latest trends, research and problems facing a particular industry today; and for industry leaders to present their perspective on these engineering challenges. This series is free and open to public. ME students and alumni are encouraged to attend.
Title: Digital Discovery in the Age of Agents
About the talk:
The digital discovery methods of computation and automation have undeniably altered the way we design molecules. Modern drug discovery would be nearly unrecognizable to a medicinal chemist from the 1980s, and computational materials science has rapidly advanced from a curiosity to a crop of hundred-million-dollar startups. In this talk, we will look at two ways deep learning has changed design processes before considering what further effects the coming wave of agentic AI, large-language models…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB). Campus room: IEB G106. Accessibility Contact: merecept@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
A&A Distinguished Speaker Seminar with UCSB's Bassam Bamieh
A&A Distinguished Speaker Seminar with UCSB's Bassam Bamieh
Fragility in Large-scale Dynamics: From Shear-flow transition to Anderson Localization to Networked Dynamical Systems
Reception following! Abstract
Some mathematical models of physical phenomena can exhibit radically different behavior when modified slightly to account for additional physical mechanisms. This can be understood as fragility of the mathematical model to small "perturbations" in the dynamical description. These phenomena appear to be more ubiquitous than is generally believed. Hydrodynamic stability of wall-bounded shear flows is one striking example where flow fluctuations are highly susceptible to even small irregularities. The well-known phenomenon of Anderson localization is another one where small amounts of material disorder can radically alter the nature of dynamical modes. Recent work has shown that such localization phenomena can also occur without the presence of medium disorder, but rather due to complex geometry such as in…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95344048438. Campus room: 334. Accessibility Contact: aafrontdesk@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Monday, May 18, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Carlos Abarca
Dissertation Title: Transport of Buoyant Microplastics in the Swash Zone, Supervisory Committee Members: Michelle DiBenedetto | Committee Co-Chair | Princeton University & UW, Department of Mechanical Engineering , Alberto Aliseda | Committee Co-Char | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Christie Hegermiller | GSR | Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering , Brian Polagye | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Chris Chickadel | Committee Member | Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Carlos Abarca. Event Types: Academics.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
ME Seminar: John Palmore, UW ME
We are pleased to welcome ME Assistant Professor John Palmore for an ME seminar.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB). Campus room: Interdisciplinary Engineering Building G106. Accessibility Contact: merecept@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Mia Hoffman
Dissertation Title: Pathways to self-initiated mobility: Adoption and use of mobility aids by young children with developmental disabilities, Supervisory Committee Members: Katherine Steele | Committee Co-Chair | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Heather Feldner | Committee Co-Chair | Department of Rehabilitation Medicine , Maggie Beneke | GSR | College of Education , Katherine Steele |Committee Member |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Nathan Sniadecki |Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Mehmet Kurt |Committee Member |Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Mia Hoffman. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Julio Chavez Dorado
Dissertation Title: Vertical transport of buoyant particles in free-surface boundary layers, Supervisory Committee Members: Michelle DiBenedetto | Committee Co-Chair | Princeton University & UW, Department of Mechanical Engineering , Alexander Horner-Devine | GSR | Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering , Alberto Aliseda | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Brian Polagye | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Julio Chavez. Event Types: Academics.
Friday, May 22, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
ME Seminar: Lin Han, Drexel University
We are pleased to welcome Lin Han, professor at Drexel University, for an ME seminar.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB). Campus room: Interdisciplinary Engineering Building G106. Accessibility Contact: merecept@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
CREATE Community Day
CREATE Community Day is an annual half-day forum for discussing the concerns about and approaches to sustainable accessibility research and a showcase of research led by CREATE and HuskyADAPT. Student researchers highlight their work and showcase a variety of individual and team projects. Directions and Parking , Zoom link to be provided , Accessibility: Building FAQs | Email, Panel topics and speakers are being finalized and will be announced soon.
1:15–2:30 p.m. - Community Day panel discussion #1 (hybrid)
2:45–4:00 p.m. - Community Day panel discussion #2 (hybrid)
4:00–5:00 p.m. - Research Showcase co-hosted with HuskyADAPT (in-person only).
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: Zillow Commons. Accessibility Contact: oliviapb@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Exhibits. Information Sessions. Meetings. Special Events. Target Audience: Anyone interested in research on accessible technology & making the world accessible through tech.
Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. CREATE & HuskyADAPT Research Showcase
The closing event for CREATE’s Community Day, this Research Showcase is co-sponsored by HuskyADAPT. Approximately 30 undergraduate and graduate student teams from at least eight majors/programs and all three UW campuses share their projects, covering a wide range of research.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: Zillow Commons. Accessibility Contact: oliviapb@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Exhibits. Special Events. Student Activities. Target Audience: Anyone interested in research on accessible technology and making the world accessible through tech.
Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. PhD Final Examination: Changwoo Lee
Dissertation Title: Wearable Nano-Capacitive Sensor Systems for Sleep and Fatigue Monitoring, Supervisory Committee Members: Jaehyun Chung | Committee Chair | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Anant Anantram | GSR | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering , Dayong Gao |Committee Member |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Jong-Hoon Kim |Committee Member |Washington State University, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Changwoo Lee. Event Types: Academics.
Thursday, May 28, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Pengcheng (Pearson) Chen
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Pengcheng Chen. Event Types: Academics.
Friday, May 29, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
Mechanical Engineering Capstone Exposition
We are pleased to invite you to the Mechanical Engineering Department's Capstone Exposition!
Mechanical engineering undergraduates will showcase their capstone design projects through posters, prototypes, exhibits, and demos. Join students, industry mentors and sponsors, and the ME community in celebrating their hard work and achievements.
Students have been working on their projects for the past two quarters. There is a wide range of projects, including ones sponsored by companies, hosted by faculty, and proposed by students. Many of the teams are interdisciplinary.
The event will include awards and prizes, including the results of an image contest and exhibit judging by experienced engineers. Refreshments will be provided. For parking information or to request accessibility accommodations, please register for the event and then email Prof. Sirine Maalej.
We look forward to sharing our students' progress and the amazing work they have done over the year!
For more information about our capstone program,…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Campus room: HUB 211: North Ballroom. Accessibility Contact: smaalej@uw.edu. Event Types: Student Activities. Target Audience: Broader ME community, including students, faculty, industry mentors and sponsors, friends & family.
Friday, May 29, 2026, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
ME Seminar: Paul Fasolo, Sonomotion
We are pleased to welcome Paul Fasolo from Sonomotion, Inc. for an ME seminar.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB). Campus room: Interdisciplinary Engineering Building G106. Accessibility Contact: merecept@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Satria Ardianuari
Dissertation Title: Influence of Prosthetic Ankle-Foot Properties on Intact Limb Biomechanical Demands in Transtibial Amputees During Simulated Functional Tasks, Supervisory Committee Members: Glenn Klute| Committee Chair | VA CLiMB & Department of Mechanical Engineering , Christopher Neils | GSR | Department of Bioengineering , Katherine Steele |Committee Member |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Jenny Robinson |Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Stefania Fatone |Committee Member |Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Satria Ardianuari. Event Types: Academics.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Yu-Jen (Howard) Cheng
Dissertation Title: Nanocomposite Single-Electrode Capacitive Sensors for Intelligent and Wearable Cardiovascular Health Monitoring, Supervisory Committee Members: Jaehyun Chung | Committee Chair | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Xiaohu Gao | GSR | Department of Bioengineering , Dayong Gao |Committee Member |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Jonathan Posner |Committee Member |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Younghoon Kwon | Committee Member | UW Medicine, Division of Cardiology.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Yu-Jen Cheng. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
PhD Qualifying Examination: Saveer Yogita Sharda
Supervisory Committee Members: Juan Carlos del Alamo | Faculty Advisor | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Dayong Gao | Departmental Representative | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Alberto Aliseda | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Ashish Manohar | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Saveer Sharda. Event Types: Academics.
Friday, June 5, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Youngshang Han
Dissertation Title: Printing and Recycling of Liquid Metal Composites for 3D Architected Thermoelectric Wearables, Supervisory Committee Members: Mohammad Malakooti | Committee Chair | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Karl Bohringer | GSR | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering , Junlan Wang |Committee Member |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Jie Xiao |Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Youngshang Han. Event Types: Academics.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
PhD Final Examination: Jan Williams
Dissertation Title: Data-driven recurrent models to forecast and control high-dimensional dynamical systems, Supervisory Committee Members: Krithika Manohar | Committee Co-Chair | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Jose Nathan Kutz |Committee Co-Chair | Department of Applied Mathematics , Marine Denolle | GSR | Department of Earth and Space Sciences , Stefania Fresca | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Jan Williams. Event Types: Academics.
Monday, June 8, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Marina Ruediger
Dissertation Title: Approaches for Autonomous Multi-Vehicle Underwater Inspections, Supervisory Committee Members: Ashis Banerjee | Committee Chair |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Abhishek Gupta | GSR | Department of Computer Science and Engineering , Santosh Devasia |Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Aaron Marburg | Committee Member | Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Marina Ruediger. Event Types: Academics.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
PhD General Examination: Ivan Stepanov
Supervisory Committee Members: Albert Folch | Committee Chair | Department of Bioengineering , Miqin Zhang | GSR | Department of Materials Science & Engineering , Eric Seibel | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Nathan Sniadecki | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Ivan Stepanov. Event Types: Academics.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
PhD General Examination: Vinh Nguyen
Supervisory Committee Members:Corie Cobb| Committee Chair | Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lilo Pozzo | GSR | Department of Chemical Engineering Jie Xiao| Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nadya Peek| Committee Member | Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Vinh Nguyen. Event Types: Academics.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Xiaohai (Bob) Hu
Dissertation Title: Learning-Based Control and Tactile Perception for Robotic Systems, Supervisory Committee Members: Xu Chen | Committee Chair |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Amir Taghvaei | GSR | Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics , Santosh Devasia |Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Steve Shen | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Bob Hu. Event Types: Academics.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
PhD Final Examination: Thomas Chu
Dissertation Title: Optimal Local-Loop Shaping Beyond Nyquist Frequencies using Robust Signal Recovery for Non-Integer Sampling of Multirate Systems, Supervisory Committee Members: Xu Chen | Committee Chair |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Amir Taghvaei | GSR | Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics , Santosh Devasia |Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Steve Shen | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Thomas Chu. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
PhD General Examination: Emilee Armstrong
Supervisory Committee Members: Corie Cobb| Committee Chair | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Daniel Schwartz | GSR | Department of Chemical Engineering , John Kramlich | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Lucas Meza | Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Emilee Armstrong. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
PhD Final Examination: Yushu Lin
Dissertation Title: Learning-Based Control and Tactile Perception for Robotic Systems, Supervisory Committee Members: John Palmore Jr. | Committee Chair |Department of Mechanical Engineering , Jingwei Hu | GSR | Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics , Alberto Aliseda |Committee Member | Department of Mechanical Engineering , Antonino Ferrante | Committee Member | Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Yushu Lin. Event Types: Academics.
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.