More Herff Headlines 

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.

The Center for Transportation Innovation, Education, and Research (C-TIER) at the University of Memphis has been awarded a four-year research grant for the project, “Enhancing Tennessee Integrated Traffic Analysis Network (E-TITAN): Data Quality and Analytical Utility.” Funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the project is led by Dr. Sabya Mishra, Director of C-TIER..

Dr. Evan Main, PhD, didn’t know the first thing about biomedical engineering when he decided to join the graduate program at the Herff College of Engineering.

With the aid of a Bonner scholarship, a service-to-community-based financial aid for students, Main came to Memphis from his hometown of St. Louis to study physics at Rhodes College. His interests shifted when he began looking at graduate programs and came across the work of Dr. Gary Bowlin, Chair of Herff’s Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Dr. Sabya Mishra, of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at the Herff College of Engineering, received the 2026 Williard R. Sparks Eminent Faculty Award, the highest honor for a faculty member at the University of Memphis. 

The Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded Dr. Kevin Berisso of the Department of Engineering Technology at the Herff College of Engineering a $1.23M grant to advance innovative automotive solutions that improve safety and performance in commercial transportation. 

Eighty members of the Herff College of Engineering, including 79 graduating seniors and one faculty member, took part in the Order of the Engineer ceremony on May 8. 

Eighty members of the Herff College of Engineering, including 79 graduating seniors and one faculty member, took part in the Order of the Engineer ceremony on May 8. 

The Herff College of Engineering honored nearly a dozen graduate students who earned their PhDs in the Spring 2026 semester. 

A group of students from the Herff College of Engineering finished second in an international competition hosted by SICK Inc., claiming the $5,000 second-place prize. 

Only eight University of Memphis students received the Carson's Circle award in Spring 2026. Christian Davis, a senior mechanical engineering student, represented the Herff College of Engineering as the college's lone recipient of the award. 

Students in the Herff College of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering now have more options to expand their careers through Herff’s Certificate in Regulatory Affairs for Medical Devices.

Dozens of Herff College of Engineering students presented their research at Herff's Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Day on April 17, 2026. 

For the first time, a group of sustainable solutions students will represent the Herff College of Engineering in the American Society of Engineers' National Student Championships. 

The Senior Design Expo showcases the capstone projects of Herff seniors. Interdisciplinary teams spend an entire year working with a company to create a solution to solve a real-world problem. Herff College of Engineering Dean Okenewa Okoli implemented the Senior Design Expo after arriving at the college in 2023. 

The Herff College of Engineering proudly welcomed the inaugural members of the Herff Hall of Fame. 

The Herff College of Engineering proudly hosted the American Society for Engineering Education Southeastern Conference (ASEE-SE) March 8-10 at the University of Memphis. 

The Herff College of Engineering proudly recognizes faculty and staff who have gone above and beyond in their research, service and dedication to the college and the University of Memphis. 

The Herff College of Engineering hosted "We Work the Waterways" on Friday, April 10, allowing STEM students from across the Mid-South to explore maritime careers and the significance of those positions. 

Through the VIP program at the Herff College of Engineering and enrolling in the Honor's College, Gerrell Dabbs was able to transform his love of computers into a passion for research. 

The University of Memphis Center for Transportation Innovation, Education and Research (C-TIER) has been awarded $2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to research high-risk work zones in order to create safer work environments for commercial drivers and commercial driving vehicles (CMV). The project is being led by C-TIER’s Director Dr. Sabya Mishra. 

The University of Memphis has received approval from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) to launch a new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree, expanding opportunities for students seeking careers in high-demand technical and leadership fields.

David Adaway knew he wanted to pursue a career in computer engineering before he ever graduated from Marion High School in Crittenden County, Arkansas, and he knew he didn't need to go far to find a college that would help him achieve that goal. 

Herff College of Engineering is proud to announce the expansion of its annual Herff Awards, a longstanding tradition that celebrates excellence within the college's faculty, staff, students, and alumni. This year, the College is broadening this important initiative to honor members of the internal Herff community and distinguished leaders and alumni whose professional achievements and service have made a lasting impact on engineering and society.

Herff College of Engineering students literally went the extra mile to enhance their academic portfolios and network opportunities. 

As part of CAESER's research into the Memphis Aquifer, Brooke Lafferty drilled hundreds of feet into the ground in Shelby Forest to examine water taken from fault zones.

The Herff College of Engineering’s Leadership Class got behind-the-scenes access to some government facilities during their trip to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland. 

Dean Okoli and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Administration Dr. Amy de Jongh Curry completed a transfer agreement with Bermuda College in October, getting even more than they bargained for out of their island adventure.

Dean Okoli and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Administration Dr. Amy de Jongh Curry completed a transfer agreement with Bermuda College in October, getting even more than they bargained for out of their island adventure.

The Herff College of Engineering Graduate Programs Office extends its sincere appreciation to Dr. Kevin Berisso, Associate Professor of Engineering Technology, for his dedicated service as the College’s Director of Graduate Studies and Graduate Coordinator for Engineering Technology. We are pleased to announce the following leadership appointments. 

Sixteen members of the Herff College of Engineering celebrated career milestones in February 2026, including 11 with a decade or more of service. But nobody in the group has been inspiring the next generation of engineers longer than Dr. Alfredo Ramirez. Ramirez, a research assistant professor in Herff's Electrical and Computer Engineering department and a member of the Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research at the University of Memphis, celebrated 40 years of service in February. 

Dozens of mathletes came out to the Herff College of Engineering for the region's annual MATHCOUNTS competition on Saturday, February 21. 

Catch up on everything that happened at the Herff College of Engineering in 2025. 

The work happening at the Herff College of Engineering doesn't just benefit our students. When their professor reached out to them with a challenge, a group of Herff students answered the call by creating a medical device that allowed a University of Memphis nursing student with mobility issues to take his final exam. 

More than 26 companies sent representatives to recruit Herff’s top talent, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Smith & Nephew, Turner, ARDOT, Flintco, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the University of Tennessee Space Institute.

On Thursday, February 12, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) held its annual "Bae Grams" fundraiser, the organization's largest annual fundraiser. 

University of Memphis biomedical engineering graduate Alexandra Snyder (’25) has been awarded the highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP)

Students returned to campus on Wednesday after an ice storm forced the University of Memphis to implement modified campus operations, including remote learning, for nine days.