Research Opportunities

The MCE program is closely associated with the Measurement and Control Engineering Research Center (MCERC) located at 1030 S. Second Avenue. This center focuses on advancing the state-of-the-art in MCE technology by promoting a multidisciplinary systems perspective that emphasizes the relationship between measurement science and control theory in applications. Through its activities, the Center connects educators, researchers, and practitioners from universities, national laboratories, industry, and government. Current research at the Center is addressing issues in biomedical, aerospace, structures, measurement and control theory, and thermal fluids topics.

These Activities include:

Biomedical Engineering: The biomedical engineering research group is addressing issues that have direct impact to the daily live of persons with disability, illness, and hardship. Research is currently conducted in biomechanics, biomaterials, bio-signals, and controls.
Aerospace Engineering: Aerospace related research at MCERC addresses issues ranging from attitude de-termination of satellites, vibration mitigation of space structures, guidance and control of various habited and inhabited vehicles, aerobraking, active flow control, to hybrid rockets.
Structural Engineering: The structural engineering research group investigates issues of vibration and its mitigation in civil structures using smart materials and a synergy of intelligent and traditional control techniques.
Measurement and Control Theory: Current investigations in this field deal with developing a unified approach to optimal control theory, singular perturbations and time scales, system identification, intelligent control, and smart sensors.
Thermal Research: The objective of the thermal group is to apply advanced measurement techniques to thermal/fluid problems such as the development of a novel liquid/interface sensor and a triple point thermal storage unit. Control issues are as well addressed for example for HVAC applications.
Other research areas include controls in manufacturing, nuclear engineering, mechatronics, and robotics.