Mechanical Engineering

The department of Mechanical Engineering welcomes in-person and virtual visits. Please contact Beatrice Kooken at bkooken1@niu.edu or 815-753-9979 to schedule a visit. For meeting with the department chair, please contact Tariq Shamim at tshamim@niu.edu

Mechanical engineering requires both creativity and analytical skills. Our program will give you an understanding of the systems and components used in manufacturing, energy conversion and solid/fluid mechanics. You'll learn how to design and manufacture devices and products that improve people's lives. The hands-on experience you gain will prepare you for a career in fields such as robotics, automotive technology and computer-aided design/manufacturing.

You'll benefit from:

  • Internship opportunities with regional industries.
  • Ability to participate in Robotics Club and other student organizations.
  • Research experience with the latest technologies.
  • Dedicated faculty with expertise in areas like swarm technology, biomechanics and robotics.

Huskie Spotlight

Jifu Tan

Jifu Tan

Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Research

See what research is taking place in Mechanical Engineering and which projects are accepting students.

Laboratories

Learn more about our amazing facilities.

Undergraduate Programs

Graduate Programs

Faculty and Staff

Name Title Phone Email Office
Sachit Butail, Ph.D. Associate Professor 815-753-9987 sbutail@niu.edu EB 148
Kyu Taek Cho, Ph.D. Associate Professor 815-753-3346 kcho@niu.edu EB 202
Brianno D. Coller, Ph.D. Professor and Undergraduate Director 815-753-9944 bcoller@niu.edu EB 214
Jenn-Terng Gau, Ph.D. Professor and Graduate Director 815-753-1261 jgau@niu.edu EB 218
Beatrice Kooken Office Manager 815-753-9979 bkooken1@niu.edu EB 226
Eric M. Lee, Ph.D. Assistant Professor 815-753-1288 elee3@niu.edu  EB 104
Yueh-Jaw (YJ) Lin, Ph.D. Professor and Director of Mechatronics Engineering 815-753-9970 ylin1@niu.edu EB 318
Donald R. Peterson, Ph.D. Professor 815-753-2256 drpeterson@niu.edu EB 
Nicholas A. Pohlman, Ph.D. Professor 815-753-9913 npohlman@niu.edu EB 216
Ji-Chul Ryu, Ph.D. Associate Professor 815-753-9035 jryu@niu.edu EB 210
Iman Salehinia, Ph.D. Associate Professor 815-753-9965 isalehinia@niu.edu EB 212
Tariq Shamim, Ph.D. Professor and Department Chair 815-753-9964 tshamim@niu.edu EB 226A
John Shelton, Ph.D. Assistant Professor 815-753-9963 jshelton4@niu.edu EB 204
Bobby Sinko, Ph.D. Assistant Professor 815-753-9975 rsinko@niu.edu EB 208
Jifu Tan, Ph.D. Assistant Professor 815-753-7250 jifutan@niu.edu EB 116
Sahar Vahabzadeh, Ph.D. Assistant Professor 815-753-9379 svahabzadeh@niu.edu EB 120
Ting Xia, Ph.D. Assistant Professor 815-753-1298 txia@niu.edu EB 314
Back to top