MIT MechE Research Exhibition Showcases Breadth of Student and Postdoc Innovation
MERE 2026 Brought Together 58 Research Projects Across Seven Core Areas, Recognizes Excellence in Design, Impact, and Presentation
The MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering held its 2026 Research Exhibition (MERE) on March 5, bringing together undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and research affiliates to celebrate the department's research excellence. The event showcased 58 research posters spanning all seven MechE research areas and featured innovations ranging from sustainable energy to biomedical engineering.
A Showcase of Diverse Research
MERE 2026 reflected the remarkable breadth of MechE's work, with strong representation across the department's core research areas including Design and Manufacturing, Controls, Instrumentation & Robotics, Bioengineering, Mechanics, Energy Science and Engineering, Ocean Science and Engineering, and Micro and Nanotechnology—creating a uniquely cross-generational forum for sharing discoveries and building community across labs and research groups.
Prize Winners Recognized for Innovation and Impact
The competition recognized outstanding research across multiple dimensions: poster design quality, presentation clarity, and research impact. Winners were selected in four distinct categories:
UROP Category:
Best Poster: Vinn Nguyen – "Projecting the Reduction of the Levelized Cost of Green Hydrogen via Stack-Level & System-Level Power Reduction"
Most Impact: Ilian Ramirez – "Observing Phase Changes and Degradation of Ni-Based Electrodes in Industrial Alkaline Environments Under Dynamic Electrochemical Conditions"
Best Presentation: Divya Rajaraman – "Ball and Seat Pressure Regulator for Organ-On-a-Chip Microfluidic Devices"
Runner-up awards went to Olivia Chen (Best Presentation: "Mold-free partial polymerization apparatus for the manufacturing of plastics at-scale"), Fu Xing Chen (Most Impact: "Biomimetic Actuators for Drug Delivery"), and Amrit Singh (Best Presentation: "Computational Analysis of Supernumerary Robotic Limbs Workspace for Task Design").
Graduate Category:
Best Poster: Bastien Aymon – "Mechanics of nonfibrotic adhesive interfaces"
Most Impact: John Zhang – "UmboMic: Fixation and Surgical Approach"
Best Presentation: Erik Ballesteros – "Design of Supernumerary Robotic Limbs for the Augmentation of Astronauts performing Partial-Gravity Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVAs)"
Runner-up winners included Pascal Spino (Best Poster: "Underwater Photogrammetric Mapping with Miniature Robot Swarms"), Kentaro Barhydt (Most Impact: "Loop closure grasping: Topological transformations enable strong, gentle, and versatile grasps"), and Jacqui van Zyl (Best Presentation: "Cell-Driven Regulation of State-Dependent Brain Waste Clearance").
Postdoc Category:
Best Poster: Kendrik Yan Hong Lim – "Embodied AI Systems for Manufacturing Resilience"
Most Impact: Rolando Bautista Montesano – "Design for smartphone-based teleoperation in manufacturing"
MIT Affiliate Category:
Best Poster: Sebastian Monzon – "Birdwatch: Acoustic Drone Detection"
Community Engagement and Strategic Impact
Beyond the competition, MERE fostered genuine community connection. The event featured an interactive scavenger hunt, with participants exploring the full range of research on display. Unsolicited feedback from students, guests, and volunteers highlighted the positive impact of bringing the MechE community together in one space.
The exhibition also served a strategic recruitment purpose, coinciding with the Admitted Students Open House weekend. Prospective graduate students had the opportunity to see firsthand the breadth and depth of research happening across all levels of the department—from undergraduates to postdoctoral researchers and research affiliates.
"One of our core aims for MERE was to introduce MechE students to the huge variety of research in the department," said the organizing team. "Another core aim was to give everyone a low-risk chance to practice presenting to people outside their own lab groups."
Recognition and Support
The event was organized by GAME (Graduate Association of MechE) representatives Krishna Manoj, Aditya Mehrotra, and Jessica Rosendorf, with support from the MechE Program Administrator Lisa Maxwell, Communications Manager Anne Wilson, Videographer and Producer John Freidah, and MechE staff volunteers Janet Maslow and Joe Gaiken. The successful execution reflected strong collaboration across the department, including volunteer judges, the Pappalardo Lab, and key departmental partners in facilities and administration.
Looking Ahead
MERE 2026 exemplifies the department's commitment to fostering innovation, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and professional development. The event brings visibility to the diverse research portfolios across MechE while building a stronger, more connected community of scholars and engineers.
MERE is organized annually by the Graduate Association of MechE (GAME) in partnership with the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering. For more information about MERE, visit mere.mit.edu.