Raymond Viskanta, who served as a professor of mechanical engineering for 39 years, passed away on December 27, 2021.

Every year, the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University recognizes alumni who have demonstrated excellence in industry, academia, governmental service, or other endeavors related to mechanical engineering. This year, we are welcoming 17 alumni to this special group of Outstanding Mechanical Engineers.

In 1969, Robert Kohr was a well-respected professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue. After speaking at a conference in Cincinnati, his flight back to Indianapolis collided with another plane in mid-air. 83 people were killed, including Professor Kohr. He was 44 years old. In 2021, Purdue honored him posthumously with the Outstanding Mechanical Engineer award.

Nicole Key, professor of mechanical engineering, has been appointed to the NASA Advisory Council, as part of the Aeronautics Committee.

Hundreds of Purdue Engineering students take advantage of co-ops, alternating semesters between in-classroom learning and working in industry. Now there's a new option: Learning While Working, where students work one full calendar year for a company, and still graduate on time. Greg Shaver is piloting the program with Cummins.

As Laboratory Coordinator at the world's largest academic propulsion lab, Michelle Moody has a big job. But her efforts have made Zucrow Labs a better place for everyone. Purdue's College of Engineering recently recognized Michelle with their Support and Customer Service staff award.

A team of students who used "frugal innovation" to design a device to aid Indian sanitation workers, have won the Malott Innovation Awards, given to the best senior design projects in Mechanical Engineering.

Guillermo Paniagua, professor of mechanical engineering, has received the prestigious Humboldt Research Award, and will move to Germany for six months to research at Technical University of Darmstadt.

A new partnership between Purdue University, the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR), and a consortium of minority-serving institutions is working to grow the number of underrepresented minority researchers in STEM fields.

Neera Jain, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has received the Violet Haas Memorial Fellowship from Purdue's Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence.