The Mechanical Engineering Department is the largest department at Cal Poly with more than 1,250 undergraduates and is ranked as the second-best undergraduate focused mechanical engineering program in the country by U.S. News and World Reports.
The curriculum shares a common philosophy that real engineering work requires not only a solid understanding of theory but also hands-on experiences and skills to finish the job. With state-of-the-art laboratories, student clubs and organizations, and machine shops, the program effectively combines theory and practical application to prepare students for careers in a wide variety of industries and graduate school.
Modified from me.calpoly.edu
Senior Projects from 2025
Kinetic, Wind-Driven Metal Sculpture, Irene Songhee Han, Aiden Brown Largay, and Madeline Vang Xiong
Aluminum Boat Rotation Fixture, Kevin W. Heiskell, Nathaniel M. Conway, James S. Knowles, and Austin J. Kehl
UV Vessel Hoist Scope of Work, Quinn J. Horak, Harvey Perkins, Andrew A. Osborn, and Mikayla H. Nieman
2024-2025 Cal Poly Fluid Power Vehicle Competition Team, Jaskaran Singh Hothi, Justin Menzie Lesko, Tristan Kai Crawford, Lucas Rupert Erickson, and Diego Velazquez
Cryogenic Fuel Delivery System, Carter Josef, Reilly Humphreys, Joseph O'Connor, and Nick Spreen
HI-TRAC Camera Jig, Gabriel Frank Junge, Josh Sherreitt, Jake Weiser, and Luke Silver
SciTechatorium, Olivia Lafferty, Yvonne Brien Miller, Colton Swinth, Savannah Pinheiro, and Gage Heinze
Floating Wind Turbine Foundation, Clayton Lahodny, Dillon Nelson, Trevor Ortega, and Andrew Cervantes
Van Accessibility, Ann Larson, Camelia Anne Noureddine, Stephanie Rose Ruzicka, and Kayla Joanne Gowey
Cal Poly Semester Conversion Time Capsule, Maximus La Via, Matthieu Gol, Viki Sarmasi, and Tuyetthuc Nguyen
3D Printed Fixed Wing Aircraft Competition, Sidney E. Long, Mitchell Heise, Jack Bride, and Daniel Salinas
Air to Water Capture in Support of UN Sustainable Development Goals, Jordan MacConnell, Michael Tiscareño, Ari Dennis, and Baxter Mercy
Cal Poly Battle Bot, Miguel Martinez, Andrew Jones, Lawrence Lam, Jedidiah Tzou, and Robert Giacomini
LIDSS Raft Battery Pack Integration, Jack Maxwell, Vincent Stevens, Matthew Hoodmaker, and Colin Flanders
Multi-Cater Pack Heat Sealer, Ivan Medina-Zepeda, Laurent Hirakata, Donovan Furtado, and Cody Ngan
BAJA SAE Brakes, Carson Moore, Jaedyn Michael Imhoff, Will Duncan, and Matthew Shaffer
Shop Skills, Colin Moore, Bridget Davenport, Xavier Gagnaire, and Joseph Watanabe
Adjustable Dynamometer Motor Mount, Garrett Carson Ng, Elijah Siegel Reuven, Ethan Fong, and Daniel Larimer
Helical Products Parts Display Stand, Binh Nguyen, Emily Yuan Mendyke, and Zoe Porter
7LR-C Upper Limb Dancing Prosthetic, Victor Ochoa, Zoe Kelemen, Ged Mulingtapang, and Marley Paltiel
License to Drill, Gabrielle Noemi Orlando, Alexcias Olga Meeks, Dayana Guadalupe Gonzalez, and Mark Dahmen
Brush Seal Cycling Test Rig, Angelo J. Reis, Neil M. Bedagkar, Max A. Soury, and Eoin K. Lenham
Adaptive Riding Mount Block, Lucas R. Reynolds, Lukas M. Moreau, Patrick J. Michael, and Jandre D. Lafradez
Vanlife Desalination, Emily Rhee, Tomas Franco, and Marco Jimenez
Pendulum Wave Generator, Abigail Jocelyn Romero, Paul Staley, Wendy Dong, and Kyle Schumacher