Department of Mechanical Engineering

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Department of
Mechanical Engineering

Top 12 – Undergraduate Students

top12
Updated October 12, 2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Whiting School has created an information resources in these pages:

These links address health and wellness needs, coping with social distancing, academic policy and grading adjustments, research, remote courses, future course registration, and visa concerns.

Check these “quick reference” pages for help on the Top 12 items important to undergrad students. Links to websites are blue.

What else would you like to see here?  What questions do you and your classmates ask often?  Send your ideas to co-webmaster Mike Bernard.

  • 1. WHO'S WHO: Your 'Go To' People - Administrative, Advising, Room Requests

    You can go to these Mechanical Engineering staff members for help!

    Kevin Adams, Senior Academic Program Coordinator
    me-academic@jhu.edu
    410-516-5930 | Latrobe 223

    • Key Distribution
    • Reserving rooms for class, lab, and group meetings
    • “Good Standing” letters
    • Teaching Assistant hiring and payments
    • Pi Tau Sigma membership, graduation accessories
    • Questions you are not sure who to ask for help

    Mike Bernard, Academic Program Manager
    me-academic@jhu.edu
    410-516-7154 | Latrobe 230

    • Academic Advising
    • 4-year Degree Planning
    • “Good Standing” letters
    • Career and Internship information
    • Reserving rooms for class, lab, and group meetings
    • Questions you are not sure who to ask for help

    Melissa Gibbins, Administrative Coordinator
    mgibbin1@jhu.edu | 410-516-6782 | Latrobe 223

    • Purchasing of supplies and equipment
    • Travel reimbursements
    • Coordinate shipments and deliveries
    • Reserving rooms for class, lab, and group meetings

    Deana Santoni, Administrative Supervisor
    dsantoni@jhu.edu | 410-516-6451 | Latrobe 223

    • Schedule meetings with the Department Head, Professor Gretar Tryggvason

  • 2. IT'S ACADEMIC: Advising, Checkout Sheets, 990.100 Lab Safety, Minors, Forms, Manuals, Courses, Registration, Catalog, Policies

    Contact your faculty advisor or Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard (me-academic@jhu.edu | 410-516-7154 | Latrobe 230) with questions on course selection, degree requirements, other minors and majors, and 4-year degree planning.

    Visit these links:

    • Undergraduate Course Exception Waiver Forms – to record approved exceptions to degree requirements
    • Course Add/Drop forms for undergraduates are available from the Registrar or Mike Bernard (Latrobe 230) or Kevin Adams (Latrobe 223)

    There are “checkout sheets,” also known as “4-year plans” of the degree requirements on the Undergraduate Advising Page’s “Checkout Sheets/4-Year Plans” section. Be sure to select your major and year’s sheets for your use.

    All students taking courses with experimental labs must now take 990.100 Laboratory Safety for Undergraduates before registering for your courses. This two-hour online course should be completed 24 hours before your registration period begins so the SIS registration system will acknowledge the course’s completion.

    Visit the “990.100 Lab Safety” section of the MechE Undergraduate Advising page for information.

    Check out the dozens of minors available!

    The department of Mechanical Engineering currently recognizes two undergraduate tracks.

    Students do not have to declare a track but simply just take courses that will qualify.

    The “tracks” referred to in the Engineering 101 booklet for freshmen refer to both the aerospace and biomechanics tracks as well as a variety of other specialized areas that do not have a formalized recognition process.

    Upon completion of the Aerospace or Biomechanics track, notification of this achievement is placed on the student’s academic record and transcript.

    Visit these pages for course schedules

    Visit the Registrar’s course registration page for Registration Instructions and Deadlines.

    Visit the University Course Catalog for information on degree programs, academic policies, majors, majors, and faculty.

    Some policies that students find important:

  • 3. IT'S ACADEMIC II: Calendar, Transfer Classes from Outside JHU, Taking Courses Outside JHU, Study Abroad

    Visit the Registrar’s “Academic Calendar” page for the academic calendar, which displays dates for registration deadlines, breaks and vacations, alternate class days (Monday-on-Thursday, for example), and exam periods.

    Students can take up to 12 credits outside Hopkins toward their degrees (besides AP and IB credits, and those earned by students who transferred from other institutions). Some students like to take courses during the summer or other times to make room for courses during the academic year, especially if someone wants to earn a minor or repeat a course to absolve a low grade.

    There is a pre-approval process that students should complete in order to see if the intended course will be transferrable. Please visit Blackboard > WSE Academic Advising > Academic Information > Quick Links: Forms > “Permission to Transfer External Courses Form (current students ONLY).”

    Download the PDF, read and follow the directions thoroughly, then submit the form for final vetting to WSEAdvising@jhu.edu. Given the anticipated volume the Whiting School academic advisors are likely to receive with such requests and the time it takes to thoroughly vet the courses, please allow up to 10 business days (two work weeks) to receive a response.

    Visit the Advising Questions page and then the “Transferring College Credit” section for details.

    Students can then take the course and must earn a C or higher.  The school then sends the transcript to Hopkins.  Once received, the credits will be transferred to the transcript, though the grade will not be calculated in the Hopkins GPA.

    Some students like to take courses during the summer to make room for courses during the academic year, especially if someone wants to earn a minor or repeat a course to absolve a low grade.

    Pre-approval of all summer courses are required.  Visit the Advising Questions page and then the “Transferring College Credit” section for details on the process.

    Consider an experience studying abroad!  Our students have enjoyed semester-long experiences worldwide!  Visit the Study Abroad page for information.

  • 4. RESEARCH: How do I get into Undergraduate Research? Can I get credit or payment?

    Our faculty welcomes undergraduate student participation in research, which greatly enhances your educational experience beyond coursework. Opportunities are available during the academic semesters, intersession, and summer through independent study and research courses or through paid research positions.

    How?

    To find Undergraduate Research opportunities in Mechanical Engineering, contact the faculty directly to ask.

    • Visit the Faculty page for a list of our faculty and their research interests. There are links to their lab sites where you can view their research in detail.
    • Select a faculty member or two whose work interests you.
    • Be prepared to talk about what interests you about their research. On each Faculty member’s “full profile” pages are publications of their recent papers, which you can often look up in the MSE Library.  Read a couple papers. While you won’t be expected to know, much less understand everything in the papers, that fact that you took interest and can discuss what you read will impress professors.
    • Sometimes, professors would like to see your resume and/or transcript, so keep those handy when you make your first contact.
    • Contact the faculty members of interest by e-mail, phone, or in person and express your interest in their research and that you would like to get involved in their research.

    The Undergraduate Academic Advising Manual describes undergraduate research opportunities.

    • Sections 1.2.6-1.2.9 discusses general research information, and pre-research course requirements in laboratory safety and responsible conduct of research.
    • Section 2  – General Regulations – has a section that describes independent research and independent study for credit.
    • Your advisor must pre-approve your doing research for credit.
    • To count the independent research or independent study toward an elective section of the BS Mechanical Engineering or BS Engineering Mechanics degrees, the work must be at the rigor and vigor of upper-undergraduate (junior or senior) work or higher.
    • A 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher is strongly recommended before doing independent research.
    • Generally, 40 hours of research work = 1 credit.
    • Students must register in the first six weeks of the semester to earn independent research or study credit that semester.  The University prohibits retroactive registration.
    • Students taking three or more credits of undergraduate research are encouraged to present a research poster at the University’s Day of Undergraduate Research (DREAMS), which happens in the spring of each year. Visit the link for details on the event and how to submit your poster.

    ForagerOne

    ForagerOne assists undergraduate students in finding and contacting the right faculty mentors through a database of faculty profiles and a guided application process. Students can also find specific open projects that faculty are recruiting for and apply directly to join them.

    Other Resources

    The department receives information on all kinds of Research Experiences for Undergrads (REUs) and Summer Research opportunities from universities all over the United States and beyond.  Watch your e-mail for those opportunities.

  • 5. COMPUTING and FACILITIES: Printers, Computers, Software, Library Services, and Facilities Help

    NEW!  For Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Undergraduates only
    HP E60055 – Latrobe 2nd floor, Mezzanine

    Canon Printer iR_ADV 6265 – Latrobe 217

    • Services include printing, scanning, faxing, file storage, copying
    • Driver Access and Operations Guide
    • IP Address:  010.160.048.040
    • Fax number is +1-410-516-4316.
      • Fax using individual sheets or multiple documents through the document feeder.
      • Dial “9” to get an outside line, then…
        • For local numbers, dial the area code and telephone number.
        • For long-distance numbers, dial “1” then the area code and telephone number.

    Large Format Printer – Latrobe 3rd Floor Hallway

    • Print posters and large-scale documents
    • IP Address: 10.160.48.244
    • USB Drive accessible
    • Contact Mechanical Engineering’s Administrator, Marty Devaney with questions and to request access.

    The printer in the back of the administrative office is only for use by staff and faculty.  Please do not connect to or use that printer.

    Mobile Printing

    The University provides mobile printing options at a cost.

    Visit the Johns Hopkins Library page for information about our libraries.

    You have a librarian!  Contact Engineering Librarian Steve Stich at 410-516-8357 or sstich@jhu.edu.  He can help you find research resources and show you how to use the library’s resources and services.

    You are welcome to use the computer facilities throughout campus, especially in the Milton S. Eisenhower Library and the Brody Learning Commons.

    Laptops, pads, and software are available at a discount student rate when purchased through Hopkins.

    • HAC Lab – Krieger 160 – offers all kinds of Microsoft, Adobe, math, multimedia and engineering software.
    • MATLAB – free for your computer, courtesy of Johns Hopkins!
      • Visit the Johns Hopkins Software Catalog
      • Log in with your JHED ID and password
      • Click on “Click Here to Browse Catalog”
      • Enter “Matlab” in the search bar and hit enter
      • Click on “Matlab for Students” (note: this is the same version as for faculty and staff, with all of the same toolboxes)
      • Follow the instructions that appear, which will send you to instructions on how to download the software.

    The Mechanical Engineering department has 30 laboratories throughout the Homewood campus.  With the depth and breadth of our research, labs can be as simple as a laptop on an office desk to as complex as a full laboratory with elaborate equipment and potentially dangerous situations and substances that need vigilant maintenance.

    Inevitably, there will be problems with offices, facilities, and equipment that need attention beyond our department’s ability to address them.  There is a central reporting tool that the department uses to vet, record, and refer such problems to get the appropriate help.

    Visit the Mechanical Engineering Department Facilities Concerns site to report your problem, no matter what type or size.

  • 6. STUDENT COUNCIL: Who is MUSC and what do they do?

    MUSC, the Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Student Council enables communications between undergraduate students and the faculty. The Student Groups page will provide information.

    MUSC meets several times a year to discuss issues such as the way courses are taught, availability of courses, advising, and department support.

    Two student representatives from each class are elected by their colleagues during the Fall semester. The minutes from MUSC meetings are distributed to faculty, and the issues presented by the students are brought up for discussion and action at faculty meetings.

    MUSC welcomes your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Contact MUSC by e-mail.

  • 7. SHOW ME THE MONEY: Financial Aid, Scholarships, Fellowships / Student Employment, Hourly Positions and Time Cards / Purchasing, Reimbursements

    College is a huge financial undertaking for families.  There is help:

    Students can work right on campus!  There are all kinds of paid jobs all over campus, some engineering, many administrative, and all rewarding and fun.

    Student Employment Services offers jobs on campus for full-time students.  The Student Handbook has good information on jobs, applying for them, interviews, and work conduct.

    Some research positions are paid positions, particularly those worked during the summer.  Visit Tab #4 about Undergraduate Research.

    You can work as a research assistant, student worker, teaching assistant in the Mechanical Engineering department.

    • If you’re hired as a research assistant or student worker, visit the Mechanical Engineering office in Latrobe 223 to inquire about the hiring process.Please ensure that your hiring supervisor notifies Grants and Contracts Manager Alison Wampler of your hire, and that he or she provides the date of hire, the position hired, and student year to determine hourly pay.
    • If you’re hired as a teaching assistant, Senior Academic Program Coordinator Kevin Adams will notify you directly to begin the hiring process.

    Most undergraduate students are paid hourly and record their time with time cards.

    Hourly Pay
    Undergraduate Assistant or Graduate Assistant in Mechanical Engineering

    • Freshmen – $12
    • Sophomores – $13
    • Juniors – $14
    • Seniors – $15
    • Graduate Students – $16

    Note that some positions pay differently than these rates, depending on the salary stipulations of the grant or project.

    Time Cards
    Time Cards must be used to record hours worked.  Please use either:

    How to Submit Hours

    1. Complete all sections of the time card.
      • Name: the employee’s full name
      • “Pernr”: the SAP personnel number
      • Principal Investigator for Grant/CC: supervisor name
      • Cost Center/Internal Order: the account number to charge salary
      • Signature:  employee signature and date. Both can be typed.
      • PI/Supervisor Signature: supervisor’s signature and date. Both can be typed.
      • Hours Submitted by…: leave blank, as the MechE staff will complete this.
    2. Have the Principal Investigator (PI) or authorized supervisor sign the card to confirm and authorize your hours worked.
    3. Your PI or supervisor will send the card by e-mail to meadmin@jhu.edu.
      • Subject line must read:  “Time Card”
      • Attach the completed time card.
    4. Designated staff will record the time in the CATS system in SAP and file the submitted time cards.

    Deadlines
    Time cards must be submitted by e-mail to meet the submission deadline of 2:00 p.m. one week before payday.

    Visit the Hourly Payroll Submission Deadline Schedule for the deadline in the “Time Entry Cutoff 2:00 p.m.” column.

    Hours submitted after the deadline will be paid at the next available pay period.

    There are specific rules and guidelines that the University requires for purchases to be made, whether that is for a research project, a club, or any other purchase where University funds are used in either a grant or in department funding.

    • Purchasing and Reimbursements guide – read this before making purchases to ensure you’re properly reimbursed.  Administrative Coordinator Melissa Gibbins can answer your questions at mgibbin1@jhu.edu or in Latrobe 223’s front desk.
    • Submit Reimbursement Requests Before 90 Days have Passed – Reimbursement requests must be submitted for reimbursement to the University within 90-days of the purchase date. Please submit your requests at least several days before this deadline to allow the department to submit the request on time. If they are submitted after 90 days, the expenses will be paid to the purchaser as a payroll supplement instead of reimbursement and will be subject to payroll taxation.

  • 8. CAREERS: Deciding Careers, Networking, Internships, Finding Your Great Job

    Visit our Careers and Life page for career exploration, networking, and to find internships and jobs!

  • 9. SENIOR DESIGN: Preparation begins in the Junior Year!

    The Senior Design Project, a unique two-semester course, is the capstone of Johns Hopkins’ Mechanical Engineering program. In the class, students, working in small teams, tackle specific design challenges presented by industry, government, and non-profit organizations. It is the most significant (and popular) course in the entire degree program.

    Info for Juniors – you will begin preparing for the Senior Design experience in your junior year, as you will form teams then. Watch for announcements from the course instructor.

  • 10. Safety, Security, Well-Being, and EMERGENCIES

    In case of emergency:

    The Johns Hopkins Safety and Security office offers many services to keep you and those around you safe. View the page for information on those services and other tips for your personal safety.

    Check out the Student Wellness page, which offers support and services in seven key areas of wellness:  emotional and mental health, physical health, finances, professional life, spiritual health, sexual health, and social well-being.

    Occasionally, students may feel overwhelmed by the rigors of education, especially if coupled with outside stresses like health and family concerns.  Johns Hopkins offers a host of resources where you can ask for and receive help.

    If you need someone to listen, you can talk to your advisor, Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard or Senior Academic Program Coordinator Kevin Adams.  Sometimes, venting to someone may be all you need.

    Sometimes, though, you may want to talk to someone who is trained to help people in distress.  View these pages for information and hours:

  • 11. AFTER CLASS: Things to do in Mechanical Engineering and beyond

  • 12. Graduation

    That big day at the end of a student’s four years at Johns Hopkins culminates in the celebrations of graduation and commencement.

    Timeline to Graduation

    • November – seniors send their completed Engineering Mechanics or Mechanical Engineering “checkout sheets” to Academic Program Manager Mike Bernard, who will review and confirm that they are on track to graduate.
    • February – submit the Application to Graduate when notified by the Whiting School.  Information is available on the Graduation Eligibility and Application page.  The deadline to apply for graduation is early-February.
    • March – the department certifies graduation and track eligibility.  No separate application is necessary for the Aerospace or Biomechanics tracks.
    • March to May – seniors complete Exit Interview Surveys and has an Exit Interview.  Students will be notified of the schedule.

    Celebrations

    • Obtain your diploma at Johns Hopkins Commencement.
    • Join your family and friends at the Mechanical Engineering celebration, right near Commencement.  Graduates will receive an invitation in mid-Spring.

  • And one more thing... (Click Here)

    Go have some fun! (Click here, too)

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