School of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Material Mechanics and Processing

In our research, we look at materials from different viewpoints; from the atomic scale, and mapping how that affects macroscopic behavior, to the macroscopic viewpoint in modeling how materials fracture. We also examine how materials physically interact with each other at different scales. We look at how liquid metals behave in the absence of gravity, how different materials can be combined to allow energy to be transported without resistance (superconductors), how to store energy more efficiently, and how nano-materials self-assemble in complex shapes. With a number of unique instruments developed by our faculty, we are studying properties of soft materials (polymers and cells) at a previously inaccessible level, and we can build mechanical sensors with a width less than that of a human hair.

  • Luisa Chiesa - Sustainable Energy, Electromechanical Properties of Superconducting Materials
  • Jeffrey S. Guasto - Cell mechanics, Soft Matter
  • Mark Kachanov - Micromechanics of heterogeneous materials, Microstructure: property relations, Fracture: micro-cracking and damage
  • Gary Leisk - Machine Design, Non-Destructive Testing
  • Douglas Matson - Solidification Processes, Thermal Manufacturing, Machine Design
  • Jianmin Qu - Micromechanics of composites, interfacial fracture and adhesion, fatigue and creep damage in solder alloys, thermomechanical reliability of microelectronic packaging, defects and transport in solids with applications to solid oxide fuel cells and batteries, and ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation of advanced engineering materials
  • Anil Saigal - Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Processes, Quality Control, Finite Elements
  • Igor Sokolov - Self-assembly of Porous and Functional Materials, Mechanical and Photonic Properties, Biosensors
  • Thomas Vandervelde - Physics of nanostructures (semiconductor photonics and electronics) and interfaces, energy materials
  • Robert White - Semiconductor Material, Materials Processing for Microsystems, Mechanics of MEMS
  • Michael Zimmerman - Finite Elements, Polymer Materials and Processing, Batteries, Energy Storage and Polymer Materials, Polymer Processing