
Structural Mechanics & Materials
Researchers in this area deal with fundamental and applied problems involving the analysis, design and testing of materials and structures. On the most extreme scale this includes ultra-high pressure material analysis under complex loading and the connection between molecular simulations of materials and their macroscopic properties, as well as artificial intelligence design of materials. Applications include bone loss in spaceflight, the interaction of wind with buildings, the design and testing of wind turbines, and non-destructive evaluation techniques to detect flaws in structures.
Faculty Expertise

Ashraf Bastawros
Ph.D., Brown University
Experimental micromechanics

Thomas Chiou
Ph.D., Iowa State University
Non-destructive evaluation

Vinay Dayal
Ph.D., Texas A&M University
Composite materials

Stephen Holland
Ph.D., Cornell University
Non-destructive evaluation

Valery Levitas
Ph.D., Institute of Superhard Materials, Kiev
Multiscale theoretical and experimental mechanics

Brandon Runnels
Ph.D., California Institute of Technology
Computational mechanics of materials

Partha Sarkar
Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
Vibrations and aeroelasticity

Azadeh Sheidaei
Ph.D., Michigan State University
Materials design and biomechanics

Wenjie Xia
Ph.D., Northwestern University
Multiscale modeling of materials