A celebration marking 150 years since the first mechanical engineering degrees were granted by what is now Cornell’s Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering will take place Thursday, April 25, in Duffield and Phillips halls.
The “Sibley 150” event will include a keynote delivered by Sibley School alum Bill Nye ’77; a panel discussion on the future of mechanical and aerospace engineering featuring Swati Mohan ’04, MLS Chief Engineer at NASA, Bill Riley ’99, VP Starship Engineering at SpaceX, Mason Peck, the Steven J. Fujikawa ‘77 Professor, Assistant Professor Elaine Petro, and Bill Nye; a panel discussion with eight directors of the Sibley School; and a chance to tour many of the research labs, learning studios and project team spaces central to the work of the Sibley School.
In the year-long run up to the event the school has been sharing bits of its history on social media. One post showed a typical class schedule for a first-year mechanical engineering student at Cornell in 1923, including classes in forge shop, wood working, and military drill along with mandatory weekly lectures on hygiene. This year also marks the 140th anniversary of Kate Gleason enrolling in the school, becoming the first woman to study engineering at Cornell.
David Erickson, S.C. Thomas Sze Director of the Sibley School, makes it clear that the event is not just about looking back. “Cornell played a formative role in inventing how mechanical engineering was taught,” Erickson said. “And we are still leading the way with innovative instruction, hands-on learning, and a visionary approach that ensures we will continue to play an important role well into the future.”
The school has recently launched a podcast called “Spaceflight Mechanics” hosted by professors Mason Peck and Elaine Petro, which highlights the Sibley School’s position as a thought leader in both imagining and building the future of space exploration.
As part of this focus on the future, the school has established the Sibley 300 Future Fund, an initiative aimed at shaping the future of mechanical engineering at Cornell for the next 150 years by supporting state-of-the-art research facilities, developing innovative interdisciplinary programs, and fostering collaborations that address society’s grand challenges.
The Sibley 150 Celebration has proven to be a hot ticket among alumni and current students, with all events already at capacity. There will be an overflow room to accommodate those wanting to hear Nye’s keynote address. There will also be a livestream where people can watch the keynote as well as the panel discussion on the future of mechanical and aerospace engineering.
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