The School of Engineering & Applied Science is ranked among US News & World Report's top 50 Engineering Schools, and focuses intellectual efforts through a new convergence paradigm, particularly as applied to medicine and health, energy and environment, entrepreneurship and security.

About the department

The Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science and the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis have recently developed strategic plans for education and research; the purpose is to maximize opportunities for our faculty and students, and to take advantages of the unique strengths of Washington University.

As a result of this planning process, we are adjusting our focus to include the development and study of advanced materials. The most pressing challenges of the 21st century involve energy, sustainability, healthcare, security, and information technology.

New materials – nano-structured, multi-functional, energy-harvesting, light, strong, and environmentally sustainable - will play a significant role in addressing each of these challenges.

Mechanical engineers, in collaboration with physicists, chemists, physicians, biologists, and other partners, will harness these new materials to address the grand challenges we face.