Aerospace and mechanical engineers design and build unique, complex mechanical-optical-electronic (mechoptronic) systems, ranging in scale from the International Space Station (102 m) to microscale electric generators and pumping systems (< 10-3 m). During the last half-century the capabilities of mechoptronic systems have expanded to near-Earth, planetary, interplanetary and galactic space. There has been a parallel inward extension to the ocean depths, far underground, and deep inside the intricacies of our own bodies. A broad range of engineering science research is critical to developing novel, complex mechoptronic systems. As a consequence, aerospace and mechanical engineers conduct extensive basic and applied research within and crossing their usual disciplinary boundaries, they also synthesize research from many other disciplines. At U.S.C., the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME) Department’s faculty has adopted three major Strategic Themes to help guide the directions and enrich the contents of our education and research programs, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Michael E. Kassner, Chair, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

• Exploration Technologies,
• The Art, Science and Technology of the Design and Manufacturing, and
• Aerospace/Mechanical Technologies for Improving the Quality of Urban Life.

The Strategic Themes have been formulated to address the future and are also influenced by U.S.C's location at the center of a technologically sophisticated, intensely urban area. Disciplinary and multidisciplinary Faculty Research Interest Clusters within AME provide research support for the Themes. The multifaceted influence of the Strategic Themes on our undergraduate and graduate programs in education and research is exhibited throughout this web site.

Descriptions of our educational programs can be accessed through the buttons at the left of this page. In addition, the Department actively supports three design/build student projects that include volunteers from all undergraduate years, along with graduate student and faculty mentors. These projects are: a competition airplane, competition cars, and a micro-satellite flying test bed for our own and other technologies. Also, a yearlong senior projects laboratory course facilitates access to our faculty’s research for interested serious undergraduate scholars. Undergraduate Merit Research scholars from all years have an opportunity to participate in the AME faculty’s research through a program supported by the School of Engineering.

Welcome to the AME web site! During your visit I believe you will discover the enthusiasm that we have for the wide variety of exciting opportunities forming the future of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.

Michael E. Kassner,
Chair, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

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