WashU McKelvey Engineering

10/23/2026

Engineering in action means building solutions that make a lasting difference. 💧

WashU's Engineers Without Borders hosted its inaugural Run to Build 5K on the Danforth Campus Oct. 17, bringing the community together to support the chapter’s clean water projects in Uganda.

From improving water access at a primary school to developing sustainable systems for a residential care facility, EWB students are applying their engineering skills to address real-world challenges.

Learn more.
https://engineering.washu.edu/news/2026/Engineers-Without-Borders-holds-first-Run-to-Build-5K.html

10/19/2026

James Friend has been named the Stephen F. and Camilla T. Brauer Distinguished Professor in the McKelvey School of Engineering at WashU. He was installed Sept. 15.

A renowned innovator in biomedical devices and diagnostics, Friend’s research harnesses acoustic phenomena for biomedical applications, with potential uses ranging from drug delivery to disease diagnostics.

Friend also serves as chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science.

Learn more.
https://engineering.washu.edu/news/2026/Friend-named-Stephen-F-and-Camilla-T-Brauer-Distinguished-Professor.html

10/09/2026

🔧 McKelvey in Action is next Saturday! ✨

Join us Saturday, Oct. 17, for a family-friendly afternoon celebrating the creativity, collaboration and innovation of McKelvey Engineering students.

Meet members of student groups working across engineering, technology, design and entrepreneurship, explore hands-on activities, and reconnect with the McKelvey community.

Featured groups include:

• American Indian Science and Engineering Society
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Association for Computing Machinery
• Engineers Without Borders
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• oSTEM
• Skandalaris Center
• Society of Women Engineers
• Ursaworks
• WU Design-Build-Fly
• WU Racing
• WU Robotics
• WU Satellite
• WU VTOL
• WU AIR
• WU Rocketry

📅 Saturday, Oct. 17
🕐 1–3 p.m.
📍 McKelvey Engineering Quad, East End — Danforth Campus

Alumni, families and friends are welcome. Come see student innovation in action!

Learn more.
https://wustl.advancementform.com/event/mckelvey-in-action-celebrating-student-innovation/register

10/08/2026

What happens when you combine architecture, computer science and a willingness to rethink what machines can do?

For Scott Mitchell, MArch ’18, MS ’18, it became a career.

Mitchell is CEO of STUD-IO Computational Construction, where he uses algorithms to program robotic construction tools to create complex architectural structures. He co-founded STUD-IO with another McKelvey alumnus, Adam Barnstorff, MArch ’17, MCM ’18, who earned degrees through a combined program with McKelvey's Sever Institute and the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.

Mitchell’s dual graduate degrees — architecture from the Sam Fox School and computer science from the McKelvey School of Engineering — give him a unique perspective on the possibilities of computational construction.

His work has helped bring ambitious designs to life, including projects at the Sphere in Las Vegas, One River North in Denver and Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood.

For Mitchell, it’s about seeing beyond what machines were designed to do and exploring what they’re actually capable of.

Read the story on The Source.
https://source.washu.edu/2026/09/building-potential/

McKelvey is hosting virtual information sessions for people interested in master's degrees in a range of engineering fields. Visit https://engineering.washu.edu/info-sessions to learn more.

Scott Mitchell harnesses the power of robotic machines to create wow-worthy structures.

09/29/2026

James Friend of is leading a multi-institutional team with a new five-year, $4.25 million DARPA grant.

The team will combine artificial intelligence and physics-based simulations to better understand how liquid fuel breaks into droplets — with the goal of turning fuel-injector design from trial and error into a more reliable, data-driven process.

Read more.

Research led by James Friend aims to crack the code of atomization for future aircraft engines

09/23/2026

Kita Gandhi, a 1998 chemical engineering alum, has built a 25-year career in pharmaceutical and life sciences engineering, consulting and entrepreneurship.

Today, she’s putting that experience toward inspiring the next generation as founder and program director of Young Engineers Chicago, where she introduces children ages 6–12 to engineering, physics and coding through hands-on activities.

“It’s giving them the confidence to solve problems,” Gandhi said. “That’s life.”

Learn more about her.

As founder of Young Engineers Chicago, Kita Gandhi is building kids’ interest in STEM

09/09/2026

McKelvey in Action: Celebrating Student Success🔧✨

Come see what makes McKelvey Engineering extraordinary!

Join us Saturday, Oct. 17, for a family-friendly afternoon on the Engineering Quad featuring student groups, hands-on activities, food and drinks, and plenty of opportunities to connect with the McKelvey community.

Reconnect with alumni, meet the students shaping the future of engineering and experience their creativity, collaboration and innovation in action.

📅 Saturday, Oct. 17
🕐 1 – 3 p.m.
📍 McKelvey Engineering Quad, East End – Danforth Campus

Come curious. Leave inspired.
Learn more. https://wustl.advancementform.com/event/mckelvey-in-action-celebrating-student-innovation/register

08/14/2026

After 12 years of leadership, Aaron F. Bobick will conclude his tenure as dean of the McKelvey School of Engineering on June 30, 2027.

Since joining WashU in 2015, Bobick has guided McKelvey through tremendous growth, from expanding the faculty and research enterprise to launching new research centers, interdisciplinary programs and state-of-the-art facilities.

During his tenure, annual research expenditures more than doubled and the number of PhD students grew by 80%. He also helped strengthen McKelvey’s connections across WashU and the St. Louis innovation community.

We are deeply grateful to Dean Bobick for his leadership and service to McKelvey Engineering.

Read the full announcement.
https://engineering.washu.edu/news/2026/Bobick-to-conclude-McKelvey-Engineering-deanship-in-2027news.html

08/07/2026

They designed it. They built it. Then they took it into competition.

WashU Ursaworks Robotics finished among the top eight university teams at the 2026 ARC Championship, competing against more than 20 domestic and international teams.

At ARC, teams program autonomous robots to battle head-to-head, while also competing in 3v3 matches that combine tactical combat and objective control. Behind every match are months of mechanical design, programming, testing and refinement.

From mechanical design and embedded systems to computer vision and strategy, students gain hands-on engineering experience while tackling one of the world's most challenging collegiate robotics competitions.

Read more about the team's successful season and what's next for Ursaworks.

https://engineering.washu.edu/news/2026/WashU-Ursaworks-Robotics-finishes-strong-at-2026-ARC-Championship.html

08/05/2026

This summer, 10 McKelvey Engineering students traveled to the University of Warwick in England for the EECE International Experience program. From exploring research labs and touring innovative companies to experiencing British culture and connecting with WashU alumni, every day offered a new perspective on what engineering can accomplish.

Student Victoria Lisson said the experience showed her that engineering is "much bigger than solving technical problems. It's about working across disciplines, learning from different perspectives and creating solutions that improve people's lives."

Read more about the unforgettable experience and hear directly from the students who lived it. 🌍🇬🇧

https://engineering.washu.edu/news/2026/McKelvey-Engineering-students-travel-to-England-for-EECE-International-Experience.html