More Herff Headlines 

If you find yourself in an engineering lab feeling inadequate or even stupid, there's good news. Dr. Gary Bowlin, chair of Herff's Department of Biomedical Engineering, says you're exactly where you need to be to succeed.  

If the University of Memphis is Tennessee’s AI University, as University of Memphis Provost Dr. David J. Russomanno told conference attendees from around the country at the American Society of Engineering Education Southeastern conference held at the University of Memphis in March 2026, then the Polytechnic@UofM is its data center.

Twenty high school students from different schools across the Greater Memphis Area spent three days at the Herff College of Engineering learning about cybersecurity through the Center for Information Assurance (CFIA)’s 2026 Cyber Ambassadors Tech Camp.

At the Herff College of Engineering, leadership is not confined to titles—it is cultivated through experience, connection, and a shared commitment to community impact. That spirit is reflected in the recent selection of Kirbi Robinson, Assistant Dean of Graduate Engineering Studies, and alumnus David Oppong (’18, ’20) to the prestigious Leadership Tennessee NEXT program, a recognition that highlights both individual achievement and the enduring strength of the Herff network.

Fireworks will light up the sky this Fourth of July and the city will be aglow with the products of mechanical engineering.

Nearly 100 students from 50 schools in the Memphis area got their first taste of engineering through the West Tennessee STEM Hub's Bridges to Engineering summer program. 

Sohail Tufail, a research graduate student working with Herff’s Department of Civil Engineering chair Dr. Rouzbeh Nazari, spent his summer participating in the 2026 Water Prediction Innovators Summer Institute at the University of Alabama, a seven-week program that brings together PhD students from across the country to enhance their flood modeling research skills.

It’s easy for engineering students to get consumed by research and spend all their time in study rooms or labs. But during the summer of 2026, Herff College of Engineering sophomore Madison Nolen found inspiration in a different environment: the stage.

Dr. Chrysanthe Preza received a $478,511 award from the National Science Foundation for the proposal “REU Site: Artificial Intelligence in Multidisciplinary Engineering Research for Guided Exploration (AI-MERGE)”.

When the Polytechnic@UofM begins offering students a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in applied AI in the Fall 2026 semester, it’ll do so with a new director leading its charge into the digital revolution. Dr. William Duffy joined the Polytechnic@UofM in June as director of Applied AI.

The Herff College of Engineering hosted Memphis Mayor Paul Young for a tour and open discussion with faculty and staff members on Wednesday, June 24. 

Growing up on an Arkansas cattle farm and playing high school football, Dr. Hayden Carlton became very familiar with heat. Now, at age 30, he teaches students in the Herff College of Engineering Department of Biomedical Engineering about heat transfer.

Earning a doctorate degree is often the most challenging task any student could complete. Dr. Anthony Dontoh did it while raising a newborn baby girl.

Classes are empty, but students at the Herff College of Engineering continue to learn over their summer break through research, jobs and internships. See how our students are enjoying their time off. 

A group of students from the Herff College of Engineering not only won the contraption challenge in the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals' (OBAP) inaugural Fly-In and Skills Showcase—they were the only team to build a functional contraption. 

After traveling the world, Keegan Dolan found his future in the Herff College of Engineering at the University of Memphis.

The West Tennessee STEM Hub welcomed nearly 80 teachers from across Southwest Tennessee to the Herff College of Engineering on Wednesday, June 3, for the 2026 Innovations in STEM Conference. 

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) approved the University of Memphis' request to offer a concentration in Applied Artificial Intelligence through the Polytechnic@UofM's Bachelor of Applied Science Program. 

Several historic engineering achievements still baffle modern-day researchers: the Great Pyramids, Stonehenge and the mysterious steel structure that sits outside of the Herff College of Engineering.

A hodgepodge of steel beams, the blue-and-white structure welcomes visitors to the Herff College of Engineering. But who welcomed the structure itself, and what purpose does it serve? Speaking with students as you walk down the Herff hallways reveals conspiracy theories rooted deeper than the structure itself.

Dr. Mohd. Hasan Ali, professor and interim chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, was issued a patent May 19 for a triple-function battery energy storage system designed for hybrid microgrid systems (Patent No. 12633748).

Ashely Woodall got her first job in construction at a Herff College of Engineering career fair. Now, she’s building Memphis’ skyline and mentoring the next generation of engineers.

Dr. Rouzbeh Nazari, Chair and Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Memphis, has been selected to receive the 2026 Journal of Hydrologic Engineering Best Research Paper Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI).

Students at the Herff College of Engineering are making an impact on an ever-changing world. With two new study abroad programs available for students, that’s never been truer.

Matthew McBride has never needed a reason to stay in Memphis. He was born here, raised here and educated here. When his career could have taken him anywhere, he chose to stay and give back to both the city and the college that shaped him. For McBride, giving back isn't a program or a policy. It's just who he is.