University of Pittsburgh & MEMS Department¶
University of Pittsburgh (Pitt)¶
Founded in Year 1787, Top 52 Globally by U.S. News 2025
The University of Pittsburgh (commonly referred to as Pitt) is one of the oldest universities in the U.S. It is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787, it was renamed Western University of Pennsylvania in 1819. After surviving two major fires and several relocations, the school moved to its current Oakland neighborhood and was renamed the University of Pittsburgh in 1908. Pitt was a private institution until 1966 when it joined the Commonwealth System of Higher Education. According to U.S. News 2020, the University of Pittsburgh is ranked #18 among public schools and #47 in Best Global Universities. UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) ranked 13th in U.S. News’ honor roll of best hospitals for 2015-2016. In materials and mechanical engineering, we collaborate with UPMC for biomedical materials development, promoting an interdisciplinary research environment. The PMMD Lab also runs projects to develop next-generation biomedical alloys and is exploring collaborations with UPMC for clinical applications.
Rankings and Facts¶
Publicly available data (U.S. News & World Report 2020):
U.S. National Ranking¶
- National Ranking: 57
- Public School: 18
Engineering Graduate School (2020)¶
- U.S. News & World Report: 47
Global Ranking (2020)¶
- U.S. News & World Report: 43
Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science¶
Founded in Year 1868 as one of the Oldest Departments in Mechanical and Metallurgy
Core Research Focus: Hard Materials¶
The MEMS department has a strong research focus on hard materials, such as alloys, ceramics, and composites. While our materials science program is small, its concentrated approach means that virtually all faculty members are experts in this field, providing a unique concentration of knowledge for students and collaborators.
An Integrated and Collaborative Environment¶
Because our department combines both mechanical engineering and materials science programs, our faculty and students benefit from an extraordinary level of interdisciplinary collaboration. This integrated model extends to partnerships with the UPMC and Medical School for research in biomaterials and biomechanics. We believe this close collaboration eliminates the traditional gap between these two important engineering fields, offering students a holistic and comprehensive education. While the department's unique structure and focused research may lead to a lower national ranking in materials science (as these rankings often favor departments with broader material focuses like polymers and soft materials), our commitment to interdisciplinary research creates unique opportunities that outweigh this perceived disadvantage.
Leading-Edge Research Facilities¶
Our department is equipped with top-tier instrumentation for advanced materials research. Highlights include:
- High-Temperature In-Situ TEM: Our high-temperature in-situ TEM is one of only a few in the world capable of performing experiments on standard TEM samples.
- ANSYS Additive Manufacturing Lab: This facility houses five additive manufacturing machines, with four dedicated to metals research.
- EMPA (Electron Microprobe Analysis): We have a state-of-the-art EMPA for highly accurate compositional analysis of light elements, oxides, and carbides—a capability that is uncommon in many materials science departments.
- The Gleeble 3500 Dynamic Thermal Mechanical Testing System: We have installed a state-of-the-art Gleeble system for advanced thermo-mechanical testing in spring 2025. The system is capable of reaching temperatures up to 1400°C, enabling precise simulation of a wide range of mechanical and thermal conditions. This allows us to investigate material behavior under complex processing and service environments.
At the PMMD Lab, we aim for the best, we always expect victory, and we move forward with no excuse!