School of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Getting Started

Profess Luisa Chiesa and students work in Bray Lab.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering encourages undergraduate and graduate students to pursue research opportunities. From soft-bodied robots to superconducting materials to cell swimming at the micro-scale, our faculty lead a variety of innovative research efforts and provide hands-on learning experiences. 

Everyone is encouraged to do research. There are many options for getting involved: you can be paid hourly, by semester, over the summer or get credit.

The information below provides important first steps, identifies opportunities for undergraduate and master’s students, and answers frequently asked questions about independent research.

 First Steps

Successful research requires perseverance through technical challenges, so it is very important that you feel enthusiasm and passion for your research project. Before applying to a lab, explore the different types of projects happening in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. It is helpful to discuss your interests with peers, graduate students, teaching assistants, and faculty. Talking about your interests will help you to refine your ideas, and your peers may be able to connect you with relevant projects and labs.

The following labs may have openings available for undergraduate and master’s students. Each lab profile includes a research overview, information about prerequisites and deadlines, and a link to the lab’s website. On each website, you’ll find information about current projects, recent publications, contact information, and more.

 Join a Lab

Automated Systems and Robotics (ASAR) Lab

The goal of the Automated Systems and Robotics Laboratory is to develop novel control, navigation and interface technologies that ensure safe, reliable and seamless interactions between human and machine. They are pursuing the characterization of sensors for autonomous vehicles.

  • Faculty: Professor and Chair Jason Rife
  • Prerequisites: Some experience with programming (e.g. ES2, CS10, or CS11) is needed. Experience with control systems (e.g. ME30) is optional, but useful.
  • Responsibilities: Commit to conducting independent research for approximately 10 hr/week (usually for credit, by registering in ME94, ME294, or an equivalent).
  • Get Involved: Email jason.rife@tufts.edu.
     

Chiesa Research Group

The Chiesa Research Group’s primary research area is superconducting materials for energy application. Their current research focus is the electro-mechanical behavior of superconducting materials for large magnets used in fusion power devices. Fusion reactors could play a key role in the power production of future generations. Powerful superconducting magnets are used to confine the plasma created in the fusion vessel. During operations, these magnets are subjected to extremely large forces that could reduce the overall performance of the superconducting material they are made of, jeopardizing the overall performance of the machine. To succeed in building such systems, it is critical to investigate the electro-mechanical properties of superconducting materials. Experimental and finite element modeling work in this subject is performed at Tufts University, in collaboration with several national laboratories.

  • Faculty: Professor Luisa Chiesa
  • Prerequisites: Typically second-year student or beyond.
  • Responsibilities: Data collection, hands-on activities (soldering, preparing samples), participating in testing, Finite Element Analysis. They work with cryogenic fluids (liquid nitrogen) and currents. They often design their own experiments so that students can also do CAD work and experimental devices design.
  • Get Involved: Professor Chiesa likes to meet with students to see if they find the research interesting. The lab could also assist students in creating projects. Students can email luisa.chiesa@tufts.edu for a preliminary meeting and visit to the lab.
     

FETLab@CEEO

The Future Educational Technologies (FET) Lab leverages the learning sciences to develop new educational technologies for K-16 science, math, and engineering education. The lab does research in engineering education, child-robot interaction, robotics, and musical instrument analysis. They also develop low-cost technologies to teach STEM in the classroom, analyze musical instruments, and work with LEGO Education on developing activities and teacher communities.

IDEAlab

Innovation, Design, Engineering, Action! The IDEA Lab is an adventurous research group involved in projects related to virtual reality development, machine learning, UX/UI design, human factors, industrial design, hyper-spectral imaging, and so much more. This lab has around 80 students working across 6 major projects; and they welcome a variety of majors including (but not limited to) Human Factors Engineering, Engineering Psychology, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science.

Microscale Sensors and Systems Lab

The Microscale Sensors and Systems Lab explores Micro- and Nano-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS/NEMS) sensors and actuators, microfabrication processes and materials, computational modeling of micro-electromechanical systems, finite element methods and computational fluid dynamics, microelectronics and MEMS packaging, acoustics, vibrations and transduction, acoustic arrays, ultrasound transducers, wind tunnel instrumentation and aerospace sensing systems, and aerodynamic measurement technologies.

  • Faculty: Associate Professor Robert White
  • Responsibilities: The lab doesn't have a set number of positions; they’re always interested in talking to students. They have quite a few people working in the lab, but if you are really interested in MEMS, acoustics/ultrasound, signal processing, electromechanical systems and automation, and aerodynamic measurement technologies then the lab is happy to talk.
  • Get Involved: Explore the Sense Lab website. If you find something interesting that you can contribute to, read a bit about it first, then email r.white@tufts.edu and set up a meeting with Professor White.
  • Helpful Tip: They are typically looking for about 5 hours a week from undergraduate students. Options are credit for ME94/96 or hourly pay. There needs to be a match where your interests meet topics that the lab is working on, and you have some ability to contribute.
     

Nemitz Robotics Group

The Nemitz Robotics Group develops resilient robotic systems capable of withstanding structural deformations and electromagnetic interference that would disable conventional computing and control methods. Their robots are designed for challenging applications such as cave rescues, subsea operations, explosive ordnance disposal, nuclear decommissioning, space exploration, and MRI-guided surgery.

  • Faculty: Assistant Professor Markus Nemitz
  • Prerequisites: Junior/senior students will have the most success if they spend around 10 hours per week in the lab and work under the direct supervision of PhD students. Students will benefit from having taken ME11, ME30, ME31, 35, as work in the lab requires a hands-on mechatronics background.
  • Responsibilities: The lab is always seeking undergraduate students to contribute to our research. Many of their publications include undergraduate co-authors, which benefit both the students, who develop a passion for research and gain conference experience, and the group. They are particularly interested in students who are passionate about 3D printing and soft robotics, as they focus on soft, stretchable robots rather than rigid systems. Creativity is a key asset in this area of research, and they have found undergraduate students to be particularly strong contributors.
  • Get Involved: Students should first review the Nemitz Robotics Group webpage to familiarize themselves with the work. Next, they should reflect on their own interests and create a PowerPoint presentation that maps the overlap between their passions and the lab's research mission. This presentation can be given to Professor Nemitz or directly to one of his PhD students, as undergraduate students are typically mentored by graduate students. Ultimately, postgraduate students need to see a clear alignment.
  • Helpful Tip: Please ensure that you thoroughly study the lab’s research; they want to avoid the impression that you are interested in research without a clear understanding of what the lab does. Familiarity with their work is essential before joining the team.
     

Wendell Research Group – Engineering Education

The Wendell Research Group, based at the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO), studies how to transform engineering learning environments into inclusive knowledge-building communities. They aim to develop tools, approaches, and instructional frameworks that help all learners engage more deeply in engineering practices and construct engineering knowledge that is meaningful to them. They build theory as we develop and iterate on curriculum materials, pedagogical techniques, and classroom resources, and they use mainly qualitative analytical techniques to answer research questions.

  • Faculty: Associate Professor Kristen Wendell
  • Prerequisites: At least one course in engineering and at least one course in education, psychology, or child study & human development. Must be at least a second-year student.
  • Get Involved: When they have summer positions available, the process is to apply through the CEEO summer application. When they have academic-year positions available, the process is to email kristen.wendell@tufts.edu describing the reason for your interest.

 Frequently Asked Questions

  • Independent research positions are best suited for curious students who are interested in diving deeper into the world of mechanical engineering or human factors research. For students intending to pursue graduate school, or research careers in engineering or related fields, independent research experiences are highly encouraged.

  • Independent research requires commitment, creativity, passion, and dedication. Independent research can be extremely rewarding, but also time-consuming. Research mentors will expect that students commit approximately 10 hours per week of research, typically over multiple semesters. It should not be pursued solely to pad a resume or CV. You will need to carefully consider your own priorities and other commitments before deciding to pursue independent research.

     

  • The department holds weekly seminars in which visiting faculty, typically from other institutions, present their current research. Undergraduates are encouraged to check out the seminar schedule and ME291 - Graduate Seminar to attend talks that interest them. Finally, interested undergraduates are encouraged to look at the research lab websites linked above to learn more about their research and read some of their recent publications.

  • Undergraduates can take one semester of ME 94 (Research). To do a second semester of research they must take a thesis.

    For graduate students, the rules are a bit more complex (and may be degree dependent), but at least for the MS in ME, students can take up to 3 semesters of research credits as a combination of ME 294 and ME 296. 

    Note: Research advisor consent required for all of these undergraduate and graduate options.

  • Once you have found a professor who has agreed to be your advisor, you must get department permission. Fill out the proposal for undergraduate research form, the independent study form for graduate students, or the human factors engineering graduate student form and then give to the ME office. Once approved, you will be given permission to enroll in your respective course.