During the shootings occurred on the campus of Virginia Tech, the department of engineering science and mechanics lost two fine professors. Dr. Liviu Librescu was teaching solid mechanics class when the gunman initiated a two-minute massacre next door. Most of the students in his class escaped from the windows while Dr. Librescu held the door and did not survive when the gunman broke in. Another professor is Dr. Kevin Granata.

The Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) at Virginia Tech seeks applications for two tenured or tenure-track faculty colleagues. The ideal candidates are expected to interface mechanics with the domain of biology (cellular mechanics, soft tissue biomechanics, macro-molecular biology, biodynamics, biofluids); the domains of nanotechnology or nanobiotechnology (mechanics of self-assembly, nanocomposites, functional nanodevices, biological and biomedical applications); or the domain of energy, with an emphasis on nanoscale and microscale problems or biological principles (fuel cells, renewable energy, energy conversion, clean energy, energy storage). However, intellectual depth is more important than the specific area of specialization, since ESM faculty members are expected to have a broad scholarly interest in engineering with a special emphasis on the fundamental mechanics.