On April 10, 2018, Dr. Emmanuel Collins, chair of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering's department of Mechanical Engineering announced he accepted the position of Dean of the Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville beginning in July. 

He took a few minutes to share his thoughts with the College and his department today.

This will be my last chair’s message . Hence, I have decided to reminisce on my 24 years in the Department of Mechanical Engineering with 7 years as chair.

Engineering students Latarence Butts and Daziyah Sullivan were honored at BEYA, the Black Engineers of the Year Awards STEM Conference this year. The scholars won academic leadership awards at the event February 2018 event held in Washington D.C. 

FSU Panama City recently announced an Engineering the Future endowment for the new mechanical engineering program. The fund, initiated by $150,000 commitments from the Gulf Power Foundation and St. Joe Community Foundation, has a goal of $1 million.

Rachel Rosko is the type of student that every parent hopes their child will become. Bright, driven and focused, she graduates this spring as a mechanical engineer from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. 

This year she also earned the Florida State University Academic Leadership Award for the college, one of two such honorees and the only undergraduate engineer with the distinction.

On Saturday, May 5, writer, producer, and director Rob Hardy gave the commencement address for Florida A&M University’s Spring 2018 graduates. With directing credits on hit shows such as “ER,” “Empire,” “Power,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “The Flash,” “The Blindspot,” “Criminal Minds,” “Being Mary Jane,” “Arrow,” “Castle,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Bones,” “The Originals,” “Finding Carter,” and “Satisfaction,” Hardy is still relatable as he opens up about his path to success. 

David E. Lambert, Ph.D. is the Chief Scientist, Munitions Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He serves as the principal scientific and technical adviser to the director and is the primary authority for the technical content of the directorate’s science and technology portfolio.

Florida A&M University’s Danielle Jones, a mechanical engineering student in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, was selected to participate in the Citizens for Space Exploration (CSE) program held May 15-17 in Washington, D.C.

Jones is a junior who has plans to go into the aerospace industry. Because of Jones’ dedication to space exploration, she received the opportunity to intern at the John F. Kennedy Space Center this summer, which is one of 10 NASA field centers.

Taylor J. Davis isn’t one to shy away from the hard stuff. In fact, he almost seems to thrive on the grueling pace of engineering education. On May 4, he leaves the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering with dual degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering, an accomplishment very few even attempt.

He’s also leaving with a working model for a hydroelectric generator, a unique project that embodies Davis’ passion for mechanics and the environment and may just be the key to his future. 

As the semester ends and another graduating class looms, it’s important to remember that a degree is only as valuable as the people obtaining them. As such, recognizing alumni for their post-collegiate achievements is one way to validate and acknowledge those shining stars who have exited our doors. Last month, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering made sure to do just that when it held its second annual Alumni Awards Banquet at the Sittig Center in downtown Tallahassee. 

Lance Cooley, an expert in applied superconductivity, who was recruited to Florida State University in 2017, has been named head of the MagLab’s Applied Superconductivity Center.

Cooley came to the MagLab from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or “Fermilab”, near Chicago. He also holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.