The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Carolina offers academic programs and research opportunities in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering and nuclear engineering led by experienced faculty. We are a Tier 1 research department, ranked #31 nationally and #1 in the state by the National Research Council.
The idea of a vacuum airship was first proposed by Leonardo Di Vinci in the 16th century. Five centuries later, Professor Andrew Gross is working on a NASA-sponsored grant to develop material that could be used to construct a vacuum airship for missions to Venus
Mechanical Engineering Professor Chen Li and Computer Science Professor Yan Tong have received a grant from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space and the National Science Foundation to study gravitational effects on flow boiling, allowing their research methods to be conducted on the International Space Station.
Senior Kiersten Crouse has been interested in engineering since her childhood. Through research and experiences inside and outside the College of Engineering and Computing, she is excited to begin her career next year to apply her knowledge for medical applications.
Sobhan Patnaik has received the Roy G. Post Foundation Scholarship Award for his research on cracking of nuclear fuel pellets under transient temperature conditions. He hopes this work will result in improved safety and economics surrounding nuclear fuels.
Dorsel began his relationship with the GSSM as a member of its inaugural graduating class. He then went on to South Carolina and received his mechanical engineering degree in 1995, where he graduated summa cum laude and as a Harry Goldwater Scholar. He returned to the Governor's School in 2012 as an administrator and was named as the school's new president this June.