It’s not always easy to figure out what you want to study in college. Kim Irwin came to BYU over 30 years ago thinking she wanted to be a home economics teacher, but after working a summer job on a construction site, she realized her heart belonged to civil engineering. She is now a principal vice president of Bechtel National, serving as the project manager of a multi-billion-dollar project. 

Researchers from BYU, USU and a Japanese university are hoping to use new knowledge of cavitation to fill a gap in brain research. Their new study details exactly what happens when a liquid at rest is suddenly put into motion. While the finding has immediate implications for many industrial processes, there’s also growing evidence linking cavitation to brain trauma.

BYU researchers have created a miniaturized, portable version of a tool now capable of analyzing Mars’ atmosphere — and that’s just one of its myriad possible uses. BYU chemistry professor Daniel Austin, joined by electrical engineering professor Aaron Hawkins and other colleagues, has developed a much smaller spectrometer that still has the capabilities of its larger counterparts. 

At this year's University Conference, BYU's most prestigious award went to Randal W. Beard, professor of electrical and computer engineering. Three other Ira A. Fulton College faculty members were also honored.

Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society, recently named its 271 scholars for the 2017-18 academic year. This year, 10 scholars are Brigham Young University students.

Researchers at BYU are the first to 3D-print a viable microfluidic device small enough to be effective at a scale much less than 100 micrometers, a major breakthrough toward mass-producing the medical diagnostic devices cheaply.

After opening the door for a fellow student in a wheelchair, industrial design student Sam Lew and five other BYU students developed a device that would improve the opening of automatic doors, especially for those in wheelchairs. 

An interdisciplinary BYU research team consisting of a Ph.D. student, a mechanical engineering professor, and a physics professor have created a method to help evaluate properties like strength, weight and lifespan of materials, leading to the eventual optimization of the best materials. 

BYU hosted its third annual Girls Cybersecurity Camp on July 17-21. The camp left the girls, ages 13-18, with new knowledge and excitement about information technology and cybersecurity. 

Harry Douglass' BYU education taught him a lot of valuable skills. Since receiving his degree in mechanical engineering in 2014, he continues to apply his BYU education to his work at Ford.