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 2026
Project STRATA, Hobbs Hegedus, Antony Chen, Adrian Scancich, Peter Constantine Psefteas, Ryan Kreis Roth, and Jack Douglas Mitchell
Mobile Transfer Assist (MTA) Device, Ashley Homuth, Garrett Schnack, Will Bruner, and Jacob Flores
StakBlocks, Micah Satoshi Inoshita, Ava Rose Doerschlag, Cody J. Ellis, Zach M. Lawton, Fernando M. Nalin, Nicholas Humphrey, Aiden Reed Anderson, and Sara Maya Suratkal
ME3328 Combined Loading Beam Bending Lab, Alejandro Islas, Viswesh Vancheeswaran, Owen Spencer, and Henry Andrews
Compressor Rotor Joints and Interference Fit Study, Isabela Jimenez, Aubrey Perez, Isaiah Guerrero, and Jireh Velasquez
Multi-Ton Bin Transport Device, Cole Kramer, Ruth Stirrup, Fabian Ruiz, and Daniel Ramirez
Power At Sea DEVELOP Phase, Jake Lauer, Isabella Heinemann, Bailey Gargasz, and Zachery Boyer
ME3329 Modular Phonograph Gearbox, Garrett Andrik Leighton, Preston Robert Hupe, Gavin Carter Ebner, and Andrew Renato Reyes
ME443 Turbine Timing System, Jacky Liang, Michael Ayman Habib, Julio Cesar Gutierrez Jr., and Eric Tran
Bowl-O-Matic, Nathan Lin, Luis Torres, Jill Worthington, and Aiden Foote
Raytheon RTX Autonomous Vehicle Competition (AVC) - Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), Bryant Jonathan Martinez-Bautista, Geovanni Lara, Jared Herrera, and Jose Barrera
Process Improvement For Thermal Barrier Coating Masking Applications, Katherine Meezan, Aiden Senn, Saksham Giri, and Katelyn Perez
MASS - Modular Acoustic Suppression System, Julia Megargle, Michael A. Milner, lucas kaemmererer, Jonathan Corvera, Gabriel Choi, and Emmi Cayer
Accessible Rolling Garden Box with Automated Watering System, Lucas Meneghetti, Gabe Haarberg, Alex Seybold, and Matthew Podgorski
Hospital Bed Tray Table, Ava Mikeska, Sara Chamness, Samantha Kenney, and Kaitlyn Ould
Pollinators Exhibit for Paso Robles Children’s Museum, Isabelle Moll, Matthew Moore, Joseph Hovanesian, Evan Stock, and Matthew Wiecking
Package Access Platform, Tyler Connor Moyers, Austin Sien, Brooke Almaraz, and Aiden Montano
Peltier-based Hydration Accumulation Terminal (P.H.A.T.), Jenner Mucher, Ethan Pace, Renee Robolledo, Sabrina Luo, Taehoon Lee, and Tarsem Pal
Cal Poly Fluid Powered Vehicle Challenge 2025/2026, Ethan Malachi NeJame Zeiset, Christian Anthony Cuamani, Daniel Chacon-Bizarro, Marcus Minera, and Bradley Hansell
Thermosiphon Lab Experiment, Ella C. Perry, Zach Barry, Madison K. Felton, and Lane A. Hunter
Sensory, Light, and Sound Box, Galilea Andrea Portillo, Hannah Elizabeth Henderson, and Marcus Kiyoshi Kanenaga
Operation Bite Block, Jennifer Aline Robles, Laura Marie Strobbe, William Pearce Graham, and Annabelle Katherine Thalken
Clipped - A Clipless Bike Grip System, Colin P. Root, Jay Vaughan, Austin Mills, and Oscar Weir
Mars Rover Wheels and Drive, Presley S. Sacavitch, Ryan W. Trevena, Dylan A. Mack, and Daniel Hudak
Foldable Transfer Platform, Toby Sagi, Ashton Heiati, Triton Johnson, and Zachary Denis