Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

the lab of Shyni Varghese, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, and Orthopaedic Surgery PhD student Vardhman Kumar

Discovery & Invention for a Better Tomorrow

If humanity is to harvest solar energy economically, make quantum computing practical and solve other grand challenges, it must develop new materials and it must design robust systems to manage autonomous machines.

Duke BME is working to enable a better tomorrow by transcending the traditional definitions mechanical engineering and materials science.

3

NSF & NIH training programs

AI for Materials Design
Biomolecular & Tissue Engineering
Surgical Technology

#23

mechanical engineering graduate program in the U.S.

US News & World Report

$14M

new research awards

FY2024

83%

of Duke MEMS undergrads have jobs or offers at graduation

Exciting Areas of Engineering

Our 300 undergraduate and graduate students are studying in high-priority topics areas, including energy, aerospace, soft matter, health care, computer modeling, and autonomous machines.

Latest Duke MEMS News

a group of people standing in a room watching a talk
12/17/25 Duke Materials Initiative

Bringing Together Regional Industry and Duke Materials Science

The Duke Materials Initiative and the Duke Critical Minerals Hub, in conjunction with Duke’s Office for External Partnerships, hosted the inaugural Duke-Industry Materials Connect event, an afternoon focused on collaboration, innovation, and networking across the broad space of materials science.