During the recent Winter Olympics, Prof. Carpick dropped in on UPenn’s Curling Team’ practice at the Philadelphia Curling Club. Drawing on research by Prof. J. Murata of Rikkyo U. in Japan, Carpick explains how asymmetric, point-like friction interactions between the stone and the ice may influence motion, trajectory and control. Understanding the friction mechanisms in […]
Why is ice so slippery? It’s a question many people have asked while navigating icy sidewalks or stepping onto a skating rink, and the answer turns out to be more complex than it seems. In a recent episode of Science Friday, Prof. Robert Carpick joined host Ira Flatow to unpack the science behind ice’s low […]
We’re happy to share that Nathan Hryniewicz recently gave a talk at the International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE), held in Memphis, Tennessee, from November 16 to 20, 2025. His presentation was based on the paper titled “Optimizing the tribological properties of 3D-Printed PETG/PTFE Composites,” aimed to improve the efficiency and performance of 3D-Printed […]
The Department of Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics (MEAM) at University of Pennsylvania recently welcomed Dr. Nitya N. Gosvami, Associate Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), who delivered a seminar titled “Controlling Friction and Wear via Engineered Surfaces and Advanced Nanomaterials”. The talk took place on October 21 from 10:15-11:15 AM in […]
We’re excited to share that Dr. Cangyu Qu’s recent study has been selected as a cover article in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. This work studies how tribochemistry limits the lifetime of nano-electeo-mechanical systems, and how mechanics enables accurate models to describe this process. The figure shows airborne organic contaminant molecules adsorb onto the surfaces […]
We are pleased to share that the Surface-Topography Challenge paper has now been published in Tribology Letters. This large-scale, community-driven study set out to improve how surface roughness and topography are measured and described — an issue that is central to applications ranging from robotics and semiconductors to medical devices and everyday safety. Under the […]
We’re excited to share that Penn Engineering has published a featured story on the recent work by Dr. Cangyu Qu, Dr. Lu Fang, and Prof. Rob Carpick, exploring how mechanical forces can drive chemical reactions at solid interfaces. The article, titled “Cracking the Code of Force-Driven Chemistry”, highlights key insights from their recent paper in […]
We’re excited to share that Pezhman Palahang has been awarded the Philadelphia Section STLE Scholarship for 2025! This $2,000 scholarship is presented by the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) to recognize outstanding students in the field. Pezhman’s achievement reflects not only his dedication to research and academic excellence, but also the strength of […]
In a recent collaboration with the Tertuliano Lab, researchers from the Carpick Group contributed to a groundbreaking study uncovering three-dimensional (3D) auto-kirigami behavior in graphite—a phenomenon where the material spontaneously folds, tears, and lifts into intricate 3D structures when indented. Published in Nano Letters, the study was led by Luc Capaldi, a Ph.D. student in […]
From March 22nd-23rd, Aditya attended the Terra North Jersey STEM Fair (TNJSF) at Kean University, where he presented his research on mechanochemistry and lubricant solvents. His project compared PAO40 to toluene and other typical solvents of the Diels-Alder reaction, supporting PAO40 as a viable solvent based on solubility and reaction yields. For his outstanding work, […]