News
Mechanical Engineering BS

WROC-TV talks to Risa Robinson, department head and professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, about her research on vaping and e-cigarettes.

Intersections: The RIT Podcast, Ep. 21: Are electronic cigarettes really a healthier alternative to tobacco products? Risa Robinson, head of RIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, talks with Edward Hensel, associate dean, about their unique research methods into how these devices are used and how they affect users’ health.

A faculty-researcher at Rochester Institute of technology has developed a prototype micro device with bio-sensors that can detect the deadly Ebola virus. With this type of device, those infected can be treated earlier, and the early detection process can potentially decrease the spread of infections.

When Gabrielle Cole starts her new job, she will be the only female engineer at the company. Her journey from academics to professional was influenced by several factors—from family and hometown to campus and co-op experiences. She was able to build on these foundations toward an ideal first job.

The Times Union features RIT students Patrick Finnerty and Catherine Krawiec, part of a team that won second place in the CREATE Symposium.

Meet Cesar Borges, a fifth-year biomedical engineering student, and Kalie Lazarou, an industrial and systems engineering student, who are part of a team working on the Overcomer, an assistive device that helps children with physical disabilities have a more inclusive playground experience.

RIT’s College of Liberal Arts honored student achievement in writing on Friday with the presentation of more than a dozen writing awards for essays varying from sanctuary cities, how democracies can withstand outside meddling, and the excavation, preservation and reconstruction of a London theater where Shakespearian plays debuted.

In 2015, the Genesee Country Village & Museum stopped firing cannons during Civil War reenactments in the historic village because the black powder charges appeared to be damaging windows and buildings. To help reintroduce cannon fire, four fifth-year engineering students are identifying the cause of the damage and creating a best practices procedure to protect the buildings while maintaining authenticity.

When Aaron Bailey and Tigran Vardanyan restyled a shoulder rest for their own violins, little did they know their simple design, made in Bailey’s home workshop, would be sought by musicians around the world.

Syracuse.com features Patrick Walsh '05 (mechanical engineering), co-founder of EagleHawk

Risa Robinson has taken a different approach to assessing e-cigarette usage, and it’s turned up some attention-getting results. Robinson studies users in their own environments, puffing on their own e-cigarettes, rather than on test machines in lab settings. And what she’s found is that they are puffing as much, if not more, than traditional cigarette users, resulting in potentially higher exposure to harmful substances.

Intersections: The RIT Podcast, Ep. 8: Massive rocket ships aren’t the only way to explore space. Imaging science professor Grover A. Swartzlander Jr. and Amber Dubill, a mechanical engineering student, discuss the latest developments in space travel, including toaster-sized boats in the sky. Students are working solar sails, and developing RIT's first satellite.