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Engineering in Photos: February 2026

Engineering in Photos captures the energy, creativity, and everyday moments that define our College. Highlights from the February 2026 collection include breakthroughs in 3D-bioprinting to study obesity-related heart disease, hands-on learning in labs ranging from piping networks to microcontroller programming, students testing their ingenuity during the 18-hour Innovate-O-Thon, and the inspiring building of St. Olaf’s Ice Chapel. Across campus, faculty and students also gathered for research, book discussions, and the annual Engineers Week. Together, these images showcase a month defined by discovery, collaboration, and the many ways Notre Dame Engineers learn, build, and connect.

3D Bioprinted Heart Model Opens New Path to Study Obesity-Related Heart Disease

A young woman looks at a microscope slide that has a dab of clear gel in the middle of it
Close-up of a 3D bioprinter dispensing clear biomaterial onto a Petri dish, building a tissue sample
A gloved researcher holds a small sample up to the light inside a lab hood, closely inspecting the material.
A researcher wearing safety glasses and gloves works inside a lab hood, carefully handling materials and equipment
A small transparent droplet of biomaterial rested on a glass slide, held steady by gloved hands under green-tinted lighting.

Pinar Zorlutuna, the Roth-Gibson Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Notre Dame and her lab have developed a 3D-bioprinted heart tissue model that recreates how obesity affects the heart at the cellular level. The work provides scientists with a powerful way to study disease progression and explore potential treatments in a controlled lab setting. By mimicking the complex environment of human heart tissue, the model helps reveal insights that could guide future therapies for obesity-related cardiovascular disease. The study was published in Advanced Science, with doctoral student Lara Çelebi as first author.

Read the full story

Engineering in Ice: Martin Soros on the Building of St. Olaf’s Chapel

A large crowd gathers outdoors for a candlelit Mass, surrounding a chapel made of ice that glows warmly in a snowy setting.
Two students stand smiling in front of an illuminated ice chapel, posing together outdoors in the evening.
A chapel constructed from ice stands outdoors, lit by candles arranged around an altar in the snow.
A group gathers outdoors at night for a candlelit Mass, holding candles during the service.
A crowd participates in an outdoor candlelit Mass, standing around an illuminated ice chapel at night.
A close-up of an ice cross and candlelit altar elements, including chalices, arranged for a ceremony.
The interior of an ice chapel shows carved archways and softly glowing candlelight illuminating the space.

Martin Soros reflects on the design and construction of St. Olaf’s Chapel, built on campus during the cold of early February. In the article, he describes the creative and technical challenges of designing and constructing with ice, as well as the teamwork and planning required to bring the chapel to life. The project highlights how engineering, craftsmanship, and creativity can come together to create a unique space for reflection and community.

Photos by Ambrose Weidmann

Read Martin’s interview

Yamil Colón Selected for National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s New Voices Program

A faculty member stands in a classroom with arms crossed, smiling at the camera, with a presentation slide of colorful scientific data displayed on a screen behind him.

Yamil Colón, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Notre Dame, has been selected to join the New Voices program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The program brings together emerging leaders in science and engineering to help shape national conversations around pressing scientific challenges and opportunities. Colón’s selection recognizes his growing impact in research and leadership within the engineering community.

Learn more about Yamil’s selection

Notre Dame Rocketry Team (NDRT) Photo

Members of the Notre Dame Rocketry Team pose together outdoors with snow on the ground, standing in front of the University’s iconic Golden Dome, dressed in business attire for a formal group photo.

Notre Dame Rocketry Team (NDRT) members gathered for a group photo on campus, with the Golden Dome in the background. The student-led team designs, builds, and launches high-powered rockets, giving members hands-on experience in propulsion, structures, avionics, and systems integration while preparing for rocketry competitions.

Learn more about the Notre Dame Rocketry Team

CBE Unit Operations Lab

An instructor guides four students in a chemical engineering lab as they examine and assemble metal pipes and fittings at a workbench, all wearing blue lab coats, gloves, and safety glasses.
A student in a blue lab coat and safety glasses records notes while holding a pipe fitting beside blue buckets in a lab workspace.
A student in a blue lab coat uses a hand tool to adjust a pipe fitting while another student works in the background at a lab station.
Three students in blue lab coats gather around a laptop on a lab bench, reviewing data alongside pipe components.
Two students in blue lab coats and gloves work together at a lab bench, tightening and assembling a section of piping with hand tools.
An instructor points to a large piece of lab equipment while a group of students in blue lab coats observe and take notes.
An instructor kneels beside a partially assembled piping system on the floor, demonstrating connections as students observe closely in a lab setting.

In this hands-on, team-building activity, junior chemical engineering students construct and test a piping network using various pipes, fittings, and flanges in the Schleckser Lab located in Fitzpatrick Hall of Engineering. Students gain knowledge about piping network design by identifying and handling various fittings (e.g., tees, elbows, unions, couplers) and tools (e.g., wrenches, pliers).

Applying Chemical Engineering Topics in Food Design and Processing

Students work at a lab bench preparing chocolate mixtures, measuring and spreading samples while following a recipe in a classroom setting.
A student leans over a table, spooning melted chocolate from a metal bowl onto small samples with focused attention.
A student stirs a pot of melted chocolate on a hot plate, concentrating on achieving a smooth consistency.
Two students collaborate as one pours melted chocolate while the other spreads it onto a surface, working carefully with heated equipment.
Two students smile and work together, stirring and pouring chocolate into a pot as part of a hands-on lab activity.
An instructor guides a small group of students as they spread and shape chocolate samples on a table, observing technique and results.

In this experiment, chemical engineering students temper chocolate, the heating/cooling process used to create stable (Type V) cocoa butter (fat) crystals. The experimental goal is to properly temper chocolate which has the following physical properties: glossy finish, firm texture, crisp “snap” when broken, clean release from molds, “melt-in-mouth” quality, and bloom resistance (resistance to fat blooms which cause unappealing white/gray discoloration). Student groups attempt to temper both dark and milk chocolate, and thoroughly enjoy testing the properties of their products.

Spring 2026 Innovate-O-Thon

A large group of participants pose together in Fitzpatrick Hall, standing and kneeling in rows in front of a dark blue wall with the words Engineering Innovation Hub displayed.
A small team of students stands together in front of the Engineering Innovation Hub wall, posing closely as a group.
’96 Bulls
A team of students stands side by side in front of the Engineering Innovation Hub backdrop, smiling for a group photo.
Dunne East Squad
A group of students dressed in business attire stands together in front of the Engineering Innovation Hub wall, posing confidently for a team photo.
Solidworks? I sure hope it does!

Students put their creativity and engineering skills to the test at the Spring 2026 Innovate-O-Thon. During the 18-hour challenge, nine teams—51 students supported by nine coaches—designed and pitched solutions to make life easier for professionals who work with screws, from drywallers to roofers. The ’96 Bulls and Dunne East Squad teams took home top honors, with Solidworks? I sure hope it does! earning second place. Special thanks to Marmon Holdings, whose colleagues from headquarters sponsored the event and mentored students throughout the competition.

Design, Build, Fly Test Flights

A group of students stands outdoors on a cleared runway with snow on the ground, holding a ‘Design Build Fly’ banner behind an RC aircraft.
Two students in winter jackets adjust wiring and components inside an RC aircraft, focusing on internal systems.
An RC aircraft flies through a clear sky, captured mid-flight during a test run.
Two students examine the open body of an RC aircraft, adjusting internal components and payload.
A student kneels on a runway, carefully positioning an RC aircraft for testing in a snowy outdoor setting.
A close-up view inside an RC aircraft reveals rows of small rubber ducks arranged as payload among electronic components.
Two students crouch on a runway, holding an RC aircraft steady as they prepare for takeoff.

The Notre Dame Design, Build, Fly (DBF) team headed out in the snowy February weather, dialing in their RC aircraft ahead of competition. Between on-site adjustments and steady takeoffs, the team put their design—complete with an interesting payload “ducked” (tucked) inside—to work.

Photos by Todd Taylor

Learn more about the Notre Dame Design, Build, Fly team

Physical AI Working Group Poster Session

A student presents a research poster, pointing to sections while explaining their work to two attendees in a hallway setting.
Two attendees stand in front of a research poster, discussing the content and exchanging ideas.
A student stands beside a research poster, explaining their work while gesturing and speaking with another attendee.
A student gestures while explaining a research poster to another attendee, engaging in discussion in front of the display.
Two participants converse in front of a research poster, gesturing as they discuss the project’s details.
Two attendees stand in front of a research poster, as one points to specific sections while discussing the research.

The Physical AI Working Group—part of the Data, AI, and Computing initiative within the University’s Strategic Framework—hosted a February meeting and poster session that brought together faculty and graduate students conducting research related to physical AI. The event featured 27 posters and drew about 50 participants, including faculty not formally affiliated with the working group. The gathering showcased the breadth of research happening across campus, encouraged connections between labs, and helped lay the groundwork for future collaborations.

ME Juniors Intro to EE

A student works at a desk assembling a small electronic circuit, carefully placing wires into a breadboard beside a computer.
A student in a lab workspace connects wires and components while referencing a computer, working alongside classmates at a bench.
Three students sit together at a workstation, collaborating on an electronics project using laptops and circuit components.
Two students lean in closely over a small circuit board, connecting wires and testing components together at a workstation.

This introductory course in electrical engineering gives mechanical engineering students foundational knowledge in circuits, embedded control, and microcontrollers. Covering a broad range of topics at an accessible depth, the course introduces key electrical engineering concepts while emphasizing hands-on work with sensors, actuators, and microcontroller-based systems. Students also gain experience programming microcontrollers in C, building the skills needed to interface hardware and control devices in modern engineering applications.

GCSP Senior Presentations

A student stands at the front of a lecture hall, presenting slides to an audience seated in tiered rows, gesturing toward a projected screen.
A student presents at the front of a classroom, speaking and gesturing while addressing an audience.
A student presents from the front of a lecture hall, pointing toward the screen while the audience listens.
A presenter stands beside a projected slide in a lecture hall, explaining content to seated attendees.
A student stands at a podium, speaking to an audience while gesturing during a formal presentation.

Notre Dame Engineering seniors in the Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP) presented their final projects, sharing the work they have developed to address complex global challenges. The program prepares students to tackle issues such as sustainability, health, security, and access to technology through interdisciplinary learning, research, entrepreneurship, and service. Their presentations highlighted the innovative ideas and real-world impact that define the Grand Challenge Scholars experience.

Find out more about the Grand Challenge Scholars Program at Notre Dame

E-Week 2026

A student smiles while holding up a gray Notre Dame Engineering sweatshirt at a table with folded apparel.
A group of students stands behind boxes of bagels, smiling and posing together at an event table.
Three students stand with ice skates on outdoors at night in winter clothing, posing together near trees wrapped in string lights.
Three students hold up matching event T-shirts, standing together in a hallway and smiling at the camera.
Two people ice skate along an outdoor rink at night, with string lights and buildings glowing in the background.
Two students browse and sort stacks of light blue event T-shirts laid out on a table.
Three students hold plates of bagels and smile while standing indoors in a hallway.
Three students stand behind a table displaying folded event T-shirts, holding up shirts and smiling.
A group of students stands outdoors at night wearing winter clothing and ice skates, posing together on an ice skating rink.

Notre Dame Engineers came together throughout the annual Engineers Week (E-Week) to celebrate the creativity, impact, and community of the profession. The week featured a variety of events—from free bagels to the annual High-Five an Engineer Day and an evening of ice skating at Howard Park. E-Week is held nationwide each year to recognize the contributions engineers make to society and to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers who design, build, and improve the world around us.

Ice skating event photos by Joseph Collins

Book Launch: Learning the Language of Creation

Sister Damien Marie Savino sits at a table signing copies of her book, with additional copies and event materials spread out nearby.
An audience sits facing a panel of speakers at the front of a room during a book launch event and discussion.
Three speakers sit at a table with microphones, participating in a panel discussion while holding copies of a red book.
A speaker stands and reads from a red book, addressing an audience during a book launch event.

The Notre Dame community gathered to celebrate the launch of Learning the Language of Creation: Catholic Social Teaching and Integral Ecology, a new book by Sister Damien Marie Savino, the Melchor Visiting Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. In the book, Savino frames integral ecology as a journey shaped by listening and learning the language of creation, offering a fresh perspective on creation, human beings, and the relationship between them. Her work invites readers to see how these connections can help put the promise of integral ecology into practice. The event featured a panel discussion with Jennifer Tank (Biological Sciences) and Diogo Bolster (Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences), moderated by Ryan Juskus of the Institute for Social Concerns.

Photos by Todd Boruff

This photo collection was produced by the Notre Dame Engineering Communications and Marketing team. Photos by Wes Evard, Notre Dame Engineering, unless otherwise credited.