Mechanical Engineering - University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Mechanical Engineering - University of Louisiana at Lafayette mechanical.louisiana.edu

09/15/2026

From Baja to Artemis II — and all the way to the moon and back. 🌒 As a University of Louisiana at Lafayette engineering student, Stephen Damico learned to manage teams, meet hard deadlines and integrate complex systems as co-captain of the Baja team. Today, the mechanical engineering graduate is deputy system manager of NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Orion Propulsion System, helping carry forward the legacy of lunar exploration.

Damico returned to campus this week to share how his UL Lafayette experience prepared him for a career that has included the Space Shuttle, International Space Station and Artemis programs — and what today’s students can do to follow their own paths into the space industry.

Read more at https://bit.ly/4yDzArx.

Earlier this month seniors Collin Faucheux, Andres Gonzalez, Logan Leger, Logan Livaudais, and Cameron Strother particip...
08/29/2026

Earlier this month seniors Collin Faucheux, Andres Gonzalez, Logan Leger, Logan Livaudais, and Cameron Strother participated in the Heavy Lift Challenge hosted by DARPA at the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. Their goal was to design and build an aircraft as light as possible that can carry as much weight as possible all while traveling 4 nautical miles loaded and 1 nautical mile unloaded. Oh, and they had less than 6 months to do it all (flashback to the many nights this summer spent in the lab and machine shop).

Over 480 teams from academia, startups, small businesses, and independent inventors applied for the challenge, 132 teams were invited to compete, 62 teams cleared safety checks, and our team ranked 19th!! The challenge required teams to push their designs to the limits resulting in many crashes and impressively epic lithium-ion fires. Fortunately our team held up until near the end and were able to make it on the list of chasers at a 1.31:1 payload-to-weight ratio until resonant frequency got the best of the drone.

Extra special shout-out to Livaudais Electrical & Construction for sponsoring the project, Aeromodelers of Acadiana for providing a practice facility and support, and finally the Phoenix Drone and Xtreme Arial teams for all their help and advice at the competition!

This July, seniors Emma Brooks, Amir Dotson, and Sweden Ledet participated in the international Air Cargo Challenge host...
08/24/2026

This July, seniors Emma Brooks, Amir Dotson, and Sweden Ledet participated in the international Air Cargo Challenge hosted by the University of Stuttgart in Germany. The goal of the competition was to carry as much payload (cans of delicious German soda) as possible while maximizing speed and minimizing aircraft weight. In addition to aircraft performance, the team also had to submit technical reports, go through inspections and design reviews, and present to aviation experts. The team designed and built a fully 3D printed aircraft made of carbon fiber infused nylon filament and, while short, was able to fly very smoothly before a loss in transmission caused the aircraft to spiral and crash into the German wheat fields leaving an impressive scatter of debris at the wreckage site. The team ended in 28th place and also won a special award for having the most spectacular crash of the competition.

Big thanks to the many sponsors that made this possible. The experience was once in a lifetime for the students and we greatly appreciate your support!

Class of Spring 2026!!
05/22/2026

Class of Spring 2026!!

Wyatt Stoute is the Spring 2026 Outstanding Graduate for the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the College of Eng...
05/15/2026

Wyatt Stoute is the Spring 2026 Outstanding Graduate for the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the College of Engineering!! This well deserved honor did not come by surprise as Wyatt has been involved in many leadership roles such as Pi Tau Sigma President, Engineering Ambassador Lead, CAPE Project Manager, Dean's Student Advisory Council Member, and LES-ASME Soccer Captain to name a few. Wyatt also worked an Undergraduate Research Apprentice his entire time at the University, aiming to advance the performance of photovoltaics, which led to him landing an internship with Sandia National Laboratories. Coupled with these many accomplishments is Wyatt completing his degree in only three years!

Please congratulate Wyatt on this achievement, truly outstanding!!

Goodwill Ambassadors!! Congratulations to Anayo Udeh, Nina Kanonye, and Asif Istaik for this honor awarded to them by th...
05/14/2026

Goodwill Ambassadors!! Congratulations to Anayo Udeh, Nina Kanonye, and Asif Istaik for this honor awarded to them by the city of Lafayette. They earned this recognition for their achievements and leadership earned at the University as international students.

Senior Design projects showcase Spring 26! - Variable Flowrate Positive Displacement Pump- Universal Single Axis Tracker...
05/14/2026

Senior Design projects showcase Spring 26!

- Variable Flowrate Positive Displacement Pump
- Universal Single Axis Tracker
- Hydrofoil Demonstrator Model
- Robotic Arm for Manufacturing using VLA
- Autonomous Surface Vessel
- Single Axis Tracker Control Network Architecture
- Cargo Aircraft
- Heat Flux Burner
- Hydraulic Bike
- Combat Robots (not pictured because teams were at competition)

Grand Champions!Congratulations to Andrew Judice, Jude Meaux, Brendan Oalmann, Logan Power, and Kaiden Romein on their f...
04/11/2026

Grand Champions!

Congratulations to Andrew Judice, Jude Meaux, Brendan Oalmann, Logan Power, and Kaiden Romein on their first place victory in the 2026 Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge!

Their custom designed and manufactured frame, built for reliability, housed a hydraulic power system engineered to excel in efficiency and endurance. The team dedicated countless late nights in the shop welding, wiring electronics, testing components, and preparing for competition.

We are incredibly proud of their achievement and grateful for the support of their industry mentor, Lance Thibodeaux of SunSource, the National Fluid Power Association, Sun Hydraulics, and the many sponsors who made this event possible.

Fluid Power team at Sun Hydraulics in Sarasota, FL for the Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge. Got the bike ready, presented ...
04/10/2026

Fluid Power team at Sun Hydraulics in Sarasota, FL for the Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge. Got the bike ready, presented to judges for technical review, and competed in Efficiency, Speed, Regenerative Braking, and Endurance challenges amongst competitors from around the country. The entire team gave it all they had in the final Endurance race and are ready to spend what's left of their spring break resting and studying for a controls test!

Engineering & Technology Week 2026 Awards had us on the edge of our seats and cheering for so many successes!2nd place –...
04/06/2026

Engineering & Technology Week 2026 Awards had us on the edge of our seats and cheering for so many successes!

2nd place – Department of the Year

1st place – Dean’s Cup (Sports)

1st place – Mystery Design (Cooper Robert, Patrick Taylor, Samuel Goutierrez, Nicholas Quintana, Kade Hesler alt.)

1st place – Departmental Project (Cajun Jet: Emma Brooks, Amir Dotson, Sweden Ledet)

1st place – Undergraduate Poster Competition (Abigail Fremin)

2nd place – Undergraduate Presentation Competition (Wyatt Stoute)

2nd place – Graduate Presentation Competition (Sandesh Giri)

3rd place – Quiz Bowl (Wyatt Stoute, Kelby Richard, Vincent Marin, Kory Trosclair, Kade Trosclair alt.)

3rd place – Graduate Poster Competition (Mootaz Anany)

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Lafayette, LA
70503

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