Solid Mechanics and Materials Science

Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Phone: (202) 994-6068
Email: [email protected]
View Ken Chong's Full Profile

Research Interest: Professor Ken Chong pioneered the analysis and development of re-usable energy and structural efficient sandwich panels with cold-formed steel facings and rigid foamed cores, now widely used in industrial and commercial building systems. He developed new semi-circular fracture specimens for core-based brittle materials, now considered a standard. His research on the design of hybrid girders has been incorporated into AISC manuals. His seminal experimental research on sweet spots in the 1970s changed the design of tennis and other rackets. Currently his interests include energy and sustainability, stress waves and cloaking of critical structures, and simulation and nano-technologies. He is editing a Spon book series on mechanics and structures, co-editing a nano and smart materials journal, and giving lectures overseas.
 

Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
Phone: (202) 994-6069
Email: [email protected]
View Stephen Hsu's Full Profile

Research Interest: Professor Stephen Hsu's Energy Efficiency Lab and Nanomaterials Lab conducts research on renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in buildings, transportation, and machinery. Current projects include surface textures for friction control; multiscale multifunctional surface designs including ultrahydrophobic, ominphobic, icephobic, and self-adaptive surface properties; wind energy; self-repairing gear technology; and nanocomposites. Most projects are conducted with industrial partners and government agencies.

Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
Phone: (202) 994-0986
Email: [email protected]
View M. Ashraf Imam's Full Profile

Research Interest: Professor Imam’s research focuses on the structure-property relationship of materials with emphasis on light metals such as Ti, Al, and Mg.

Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
Phone: (202) 994-5971
Email: [email protected]
View James Lee's Full Profile

Research Interest: Professor James Lee and his research group conduct theoretical, analytical, and numerical research in molecular dynamics simulation, multiple length/time scale modeling, thermomechanical-electromagnetic coupling phenomena, mixture theory, and nonlocal theory. His current research interests include multiscale modeling of multi-physics for nano/micro material systems, mixture theory for mechanobiology, nonlocal theory and material force for fracture mechanics, and advanced finite element analysis of thermomechanical-electromagnetic coupling phenomena, especially for shape memory materials and electro active polymer.
 

Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Phone: (202) 994-5964
Email: [email protected]
View Yongsheng Leng's Full Profile

Research Interest: Professor Yongsheng Leng's research group is currently focusing on several fundamental problems in computational materials science at nanometer scales, in particular, the area of surface and interface science. Research projects include structure and dynamics of liquids under nanometers confinement, nanotribology – the science of adhesion, friction and lubrication at nanometer scales, clay swelling, molecular modeling of self-assembly at organo-metallic interfaces, mechanical property of single molecular junctions in molecular electronics device, membrane fouling mechanisms in water purification, and metal-semiconductor contacts in energy harvesting systems.

Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Phone: (202) 994-0372
Email: [email protected]
View Santiago Solares's Full Profile

Research Interest: Professor Santiago Solares’ Scanning Probe Microscopy Laboratory focuses on the development of multifrequency and multidimensional atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques, which enable rapid characterization of multiple nanoscale surface properties through a single 2-dimensional scan, as well as rapid surface modification.  Investigations are carried out using both experimental systems and numerical simulations.  Of particular interest is also the application of the above techniques to the study of viscoelastic surfaces, especially polymers, various energy-relevant materials and biological materials.

Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Phone: (202) 994-2479
Email: [email protected]
View Grace Zhang's Full Profile

Research Interest: Professor Lijie Grace Zhang's Bioengineering Laboratory for Nanomedicine and Tissue Engineering applies a range of interdisciplinary technologies and approaches in nanotechnology, stem cells, tissue engineering, biomaterials, and drug delivery for various biomedical applications. The main ongoing research projects include: designing biologically inspired nanostructured scaffolds and developing 3D bioprinting techniques for bone, cartilage, osteochondral and neural tissue regenerations; investigation of the influence of nano and chemical environments in directing stem cell differentiations for regenerative medicine; developing sustained drug formulations for long term and controlled drug release at disease or cancer sites; and developing a novel 3D tunable bone model for breast cancer metastasis study.