The department has 31 full-time, tenured, or tenure-track faculty plus nine appointment-stream faculty whose expertise spans across a broad range of topics, including advanced manufacturing and design, energy and power technology, soft matter and solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, computational and data-enabled engineering, smart materials and systems, controls, acoustics, and nano-technology.
The research program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science is significant with over $8 million in annual research expenditures from projects funded by government agencies and industry.
The core competencies of the department's research are in many areas, most specifically:
- Advanced Manufacturing and Design
- Materials for Extreme Conditions
- Soft Matter Biomechanics
- Computational and Data-Enabled Engineering
- Cyber-Physical Systems and Security
- Nuclear and other Sustainable Energies
- Quantitative and In Situ Materials Characterization
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND DESIGN
Active faculty members:
Nikhil Bajaj, Markus Chmielus, Sung Kwon Cho, Minking Chyu, C. Isaac Garcia, Tevis Jacobs, Jung-Kun Lee, Qihan Liu, Ian Nettleship, Paul Ohodnicki, David Schmidt, Albert To, Jeffrey Vipperman, Qing-Ming Wang, Xiong Wei, Jörg Wiezorek, Xiayun Zhao
MATERIALS FOR EXTREME CONDITIONS
Active faculty members:
Minking Chyu, C. Isaac Garcia, Tevis Jacobs, Paul Ohodnicki, Wissam Saidi, Guofeng Wang, Qing-Ming Wang, Xiong Wei, Jörg Wiezorek, Sylvanus Wosu
SOFT MATTER BIOMECHANICS
Active faculty members:
Sung Kwon Cho, G. Paolo Galdi, Qihan Liu, Anne Robertson, Patrick Smolinski, Jeffrey Vipperman, Qing-Ming Wang, Sylvanus Wosu
MODELING AND SIMULATION
Active faculty members:
Hessam Babaee, G. Paolo Galdi, Peyman Givi, Sangyeop Lee, Anne Robertson, Wissam Saidi, David Schmidt, Patrick Smolinski, Albert To, Jeffrey Vipperman, Guofeng Wang, Xudong Zhang, Xiong Wei
COMPUTATIONAL AND DATA-ENABLED ENGINEERING
Active faculty members:
Hessam Babaee, Nikhil Bajaj, Daniel Cole, Ben Erichson, Albert To, Wei Xiong
CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS AND SECURITY
Active faculty members:
Nikhil Bajaj, Buddy Clark, Peyman Givi, Katherine Hornbostel, Inanc Senocak, Xiayun Zhao
NUCLEAR AND OTHER SUSTAINABLE ENERGIES
Active faculty members:
Nikhil Bajaj, Heng Ban, Peyman Givi, Katherine Hornbostel, Paul Ohodnicki, Inanc Senocak
QUANTITATIVE AND IN SITU MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION
Active faculty members:
Markus Chmielus, C. Isaac Garcia, Tevis Jacobs, Sangyeop Lee, Anne Robertson, Wissam Saidi, Qing-Ming Wang, Xiong Wei, Jörg Wiezorek, Sylvanus Wosu
• Reduced-order modeling
• Uncertainity Quantification
• Physics-informed machine learning
• Combustion
• Nonlinear dynamics and nonlinear oscillations
• Cyberphysical systems and mechatronics
• Machine learning in dynamic systems and controls
• Resonant sensor design, control, and instrumentation for nuclear and high-reliability applications
• Control of manufacturing systems
• Additive manufacturing especially binder jet 3D printing and sintering
• Magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMA)
• Magnetocaloric materials
• Porous 3D printed structures
• Metallic thin films
• MEMS design and fabrication
• Micro/biofluidics
• BioMEMS
• Heat and mass transfer
• Gas turbine cooling and durability
• Fuel cells
• Energy technology
• Cyber Physical Systems, Mechatronics
• Inertial Sensors
• Human Motion Measurements
• Computer Vision
• Dynamic systems, measurement, and control
• Modeling, simulation, and data-driven modeling
• Statistical and Bayesian methods for systems modeling and control
• Cyber-physical systems
• Industrial internet of things
• Cybersecurity
BEN ERICHSON
• Continuous and recurrent neural networks
• Physics-constrained machine learning
• robust learning
• transfer learning
• randomized numerical linear alegbra
• Linear and nonlinear stability
• Fluid/particle interaction
• Flow in channels and pipes
• Ferrous physical metallurgy - modern steels and stainless steels
• Microstructural optimization through alloy design and thermomechanical process
• Development of computer controlled systems for physical simulations of annealing process (batch annealing, CAL, CGL, and induction heating)
• Advanced microstructural characterization
• Additive manufacturing - powder design for free sintering low alloys
• Turbulence
• Combustion
• Computational fluid dynamics
• Propulsion
• Stochastic processes
• Quantum computing
• Data-assisted modeling
• High temperature oxidation and corrosion
• Physical metallurgy
• Materials for extreme conditions
KATHERINE HORNBOSTEL - Hornbostel Lab
•modeling deposition/resuspension of nuclear fission particles
• Processing modeling of novel carbon capture systems
TEVIS JACOBS - Surfaces and Small-scale Structures Lab
• Surfaces and interfaces
• Nanoscale mechanical behavior of materials
• Advanced and in situ transmission electron microscopy
TONY KERZMANN - Renewable Energy Systems Research Lab
• Concentrating Solar Energy
• Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Systems
• Green Hydrogen Production
• Kinetic Energy Harvesting
• Solar cell application of nanostructured materials
• Ion beam process and characterization
• Functional oxide materials
• Heat transfer in small scales
• Solid state energy conversion
• Ab initio simulations of materials
QIHAN LIU - Laboratory of Soft Materials Mechanics and Manufacturing
• Mechanics and Manufacturing of Soft Materials
• Power processing of materials
• Sintering
• Filter Materials
• Locally sourced, sustainable engineering materials
PAUL OHODNICKI - Functional Materials and Devices
• Photonic materials and fiber options
• Magnetic materials and electric power conversion
• Electronic materials and microwave devices
• Power electronics, motors and sensors
• Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid dynamics
• Cerebral vascular disease
• Constitutive modeling of soft biological tissues
• Fluid mechanics
• Atmospheric flows
• Turbulence
• Wind energy
• Computational methods
• Parallel computing
• Machine learning
• Theoretical Solid Mechanics
• Life Prediction Models
• Strain Gradient Plasticity
• Sintered Materials
• Biomaterials
• Computational simulation and finite element analysis
• Orthopaedic device engineering, tissue characterization and tissue engineering
• Simulation and testing of surgical procedures and injury mechanisms
• Quantitative Anatomic characterization
ALBERT TO - ANSYS Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory
• Additive Manufacturing
• Computational Mechanics
• Solid Mechanics
• Topology Optimization
• Simulation & Modeling
JONATHAN VANDE GEEST - Soft Tissue Biomechanics Laboratory
• mechanobiology
• multiphase finite element modeling
• medial device design
• intravital imaging
• Acoustics, structural acoustics, noise control, and hearing loss prevention
• Applied control, including active noise and vibration control
• Control algorithm development (feedback and adaptive feedforward)
• Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) design and fabrication
• Modeling and simulation of dynamic systems
• Smart structures and systems, including sensor and actuator development
• Computational materials science and engineering
• Catalysis for renewable energy and sustainability
• Modeling of advanced manufacturing
• High entropy materials
• Magnetic materials
• Smart materials, including piezoelectrics and electrostrictives
• Thin films
• Actuator and sensor development
• MEMS design and fabrication
• Micro fuel cells
• BioMEMS
• Material Science with emphasis on Processing-Structure-Property relationships in metals and intermetallic based alloys for high performance applications
• Physical Metallurgy, Metal Physics: Phase Transformations
• Defects and Interfaces in Crystals, Microstructural Evolution, Mechanical and Magnetic properties
• Degradation of structural (steels & non-ferrous alloys, composites) in extreme environments
• Advanced Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM & TEM)
• Dynamic in-situ TEM study of deformation and transformation processes
• Quantitative electron and X-ray diffraction
• Impact physics/experimental mechanics
• Composite materials
• Biomechanics of cerebral oxygen metabolism
WEI XIONG - Physical Metallurgy & Materials Design Laboratory
• Physical Metallurgy
• Advanced Manufacturing
• 3D Printing
• Computational Materials Design
• High-Throughput Experiments
MARKUS CHMIELUS
• Multiscale Structure-Mechanical Property Investigation of Additive Manufactured Components for Development of a Reliable Qualification Method, NSF
• A Database Relating Powder Properties to Fatigue Strength for Binder Jet Printed Inconel, RAMP
SUNG KWON CHO
• Enhanced Water Recovery of Power Plant Cooling Tower Systems, DOE-NETL
• Micro Swimming Drone, NSF
• Electrowetting, Dielectrowetting, Dielectrophoresis and Digital Microfluids
• Active Membranes for Mass Transport Augmentation, CRDF
• Implantable Biosensors, DOD
MINKING K. CHYU
• Design, Fabrication and Performance Characterization of Near-Surface Embedding Cooling Channels with an Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) Coating Layer, DOE, University Turbine System Research
WILLIAM W. CLARK
• Structures with Reconfigurable Circulatory Systems, DARPA
• Light-Activated Shape Memory Polymer Composites, DARPA/Cornerstone Research Group
• Fiber-Reinforced Morphing Composite Skin, DARPA/NextGen Aeronautics
• Augmenting the Lifetime of Batteries for Implantable Devices, NSF/Piezo Energy Technologies
ANTHONY J. DEARDO
• Development of TRIP and IF Steels using TSCE Processing, Baoshan Iron and Steel Company
• Study of the Sources of Property Variability in HSLA Steels, U.S. Steel, Rouge Steel, HyLSA Steel, Reference Metals Company and AISI
• New Ultra-low Carbon High Strength Steels with Improved Bake Hardenability for Enhanced Stretch Formability and Dent Resistance, DOE, ORNL, U.S. Steel, Weirton Steel, and Reference Metals Company
• Development of Ultra-high Strength Linepipe Steels, Wuhan Steel and TAMSA
• A New Approach to TRIP Steels, U.S. Steel and Reference Metals Company
• Physical Metallurgy of High Strength Thin Slab Casting Steels, Nucor Steel, HyLSA, and Reference Metals Company
• Development of Medium Carbon Steels with Enhanced Machinability, Machinability Consortium
• Development of Dual-phase and Trip Steels for Automotive Applications, Nucor Steel
PEYMAN GIVI
• Comprehensive Characterization of Oxy-fuel/Hydrogen Turbine Systems, DOE-NETL
TEVIS D. B. JACOBS
• Mechanics of Nanoscale Contacts
• Mechanical and Functional Properties of Rough Surfaces
• Fundamental Understanding of Tribological Processes
JUNG-KUN LEE
• Multifunctional Smart Nanoparticle Based Drilling Fluids for Ultra Deep Oil and Gas Exploration, DOE-NETL
• Enhanced Water Recovery of Power Plant Cooling Tower Systems, DOE-NETL
IAN NETTLESHIP
• Nanofluids for Enhanced Thermal Energy Transport, DOE-NETL
• The Processing of Highly Porous Ceramics by Analogy with Quasi-regular Eutectic Structures, NSF
• Validation of Sintering Models by the Application of Advanced Microstructural Analysis, Sandia National Laboratory
• An Interdisciplinary Approach to Process Control at the Microstructure Level: The Application to the Fracture Strength of Advanced Ceramics, with Professor Smith of the Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering, Auburn University; NSF
ANNE M. ROBERTSON
• Improving Cerebral Aneurysm Risk Assessment through Understanding Wall Vulnerability and Failure Modes
• Determining the Link between Hemodynamics and Wall Structure in Cerebral Aneurysms
• In vivo Tissue Engineering of Small Arteries - Experiments and predictive modeling
• Translational, Multimodality Correlation between Human Saccular Aneurysms and Aneurysm Models
• Mathematical and Computational Modeling of Human Physiology
• Effect of Aging on the Structure and Mechanical Function of the Bladder Wall
WISSAM SAIDI
• Experimentally Verified Nano-oxidation of Copper Surfaces, NSF
• Dynamic Atomic-Scale Metal Oxidation Using Multiscale Simulations, NSF
NITIN SHARMA
• Coordinating Electrical Stimulation and Motor Assist in a Hybrid Neuroprosthesis Using Control Strategies Inspired by Human Motor Control, NSF
• Optimal Adaptive Control Methods for Hybrid Exoskeleton, NSF
• Control of FES and an Electric Motor Drive Swimming Drone for a Hybrid Neuroprosthesis, NIH
• 3-D Maneuverable Feedback-Controlled Micro Swimming Drone for Biomedical Application, NSF, NRI
• Closed-loop Hybrid Exoskeleton utilizing Wearable Ultrasound Imaging Sensors for Measuring Fatigue, NSF, CPS
WILLIAM S. SLAUGHTER
• Nano and Microscale Experiments and Theoretical Modeling for Strain Gradient laPsticity, NSF
• The use of Micromechanical Models in the Prediction of Microstructural Paths and Constitutive Parameters for Densification of Powders, NSF
• Fatigue Damage Behavior of Chemically Treated Bioprosthetic Heart Valve Tissues, NSF
• Turbine Aerothermal and Material Research for Oxy-fuel and Hydrogen Cycles, DOE-NETL
• Aerothermal-Material Integrated Thermal Protection, DOE-NETL
PATRICK SMOLINSKI
• Design, Construction, and Evaluation of a Prototype Wear Testing Machine for Ankle mpIlants, National Collegiate Investors and Innovators Alliance
• Design for Non-round Can Development, Weirton Steel
• Modeling and Analysis of Open Coil Cooling, U.S. Steel
• Modeling and Analysis of Total Ankle Arthroplasty, Depuy, Inc
• Development of a Precision Roll Alignment System, U.S. Steel and Weirton Steel
JEFFREY VIPPERMAN
• Acoustic Control using Damped, Resonant Filters (Electronic Helmholtz Absorbers)
• Evaluation of Impact Noise and Acoustical Signal Processing, NIOSH-Cincinnati
• Variable Orifice Area Technique (VOAT) Design, DOE
• Vibro-acoustic Studies on a Chamber Core Cylinder, Air Force Research Lab
• Worker Dose and Equipment Noise Identification, NIOSH-Pittsburgh Research Lab
• Enhanced Time Domain Signal Processing for the Study of Noise Generation Mechanisms, NIOSH-Pittsburgh Research Lab
• MEMS Microvalve Technology: Phase II, DOE
GUOFENG WANG
• Atomistic Simulation Investigation on Processing-structure-property Relation of Magnetic Metal Alloy Nanostructures, NSF
QING-MING WANG
• Acoustic Wave Gas Sensors for Ultra-high Temperature Environments, NSF
• An Acoustic Wave Cytosensor System for Living Cell Study, NSF
• Fabrication of Functional Oxide Nanotubes and Nanorods for Nanoelectromechanical Devices, NSF
• Field-assisted Manufacturing of Multifunctional Nanowire-polymer Nanocomposites, NSF
• Integrated Multimode Thin Film Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonators, ARO
• Scanning Probe Microscopy of Nanomechanics and Biomechanics Research, ARO
SYLVANUS N. WOSU
• Pitt Engineering Impact Program, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania