We are seeking a doctoral student to join the Multiscale Computational Mechanics Laboratory (MCML) at Vanderbilt University beginning either Spring 2025 or Fall 2025. The research areas span multiscale computational geomechanics and computing. Candidates must also have a strong general interest (prior experience is a plus) in computational mathematics, mechanics, modeling and simulation and computer programming. 

The specific research areas as follows:

We are organizing a EUROMECH colloquium on data-driven mechanics and physics of materials, to be held on May 21-23, 2025, in Gothenburg. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

- Traditional and physics-enhanced machine learning for surrogate modeling
- Learning and exploiting latent representations of materials behavior
- Image-based machine learning methods
- Data-driven process modeling of materials
- Generative learning for material optimization
- Micromechanics-based data-driven methods for designing materials

In this work, we show that the combination of material quenched disorder (of finite strength/amplitude and correlation length) and a 2D tip-splitting instability (that gives rise to extra fracture surfaces) is at the heart of the spatiotemporal dynamics of cracks in 3D. Specifically, it is shown to account for the widely observed limiting (terminal) velocity of cracks, mirror-mist-hackle sequence of morphological transitions, crack macro-branching and a 3D-to-2D transition, out-of-plane crack front waves and the properties of micro-branches.  

Dear friends, I want to share our recent work on the effects of adhesive and frictional contacts on the drumhead nanoindentation. Nanoindentation of suspended circular thin films, dubbed drumhead nanoindentation, is a widely adopted technique for characterizing the mechanical properties of micro- or nano-membranes, including atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials. This method involves suspending an ultrathin specimen over a circular microhole and applying a precise indenting force at the center using an atomic force microscope (AFM) probe.

Zifan Wang, Shuvrangsu Das, Akshay Joshi, Angkur JD Shaikeea, Vikram S Deshpande*

*Corresponding author: vsd20 [at] cam.ac.uk

Introduction

The AI-enabled adaptive version of Engineering Mechanics: Statics by Housner and Hudson is now available on AdaptiveBooks.org. It offers unparalleled flexibility that allows professors to:

https://www.sciengine.com/AMS/doi/10.1007/s10409-024-24010-x

Our analysis based on a simple model shows how adhesive friction breaks the size limit dictated by the fracture theory, which can offer insights into understanding the phenomena associated with adhesive friction in various fields, including gecko adhesion, cell adhesion, earthquake, etc.

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2403.05283

Apply here.

What Your Job Will Be Like
The Materials and Failure Modeling Department is seeking a highly motivated individual to join our diverse and inclusive team and contribute to ongoing computational solid mechanics research, development, and analysis.

On any given day, you will have the opportunity to:

Shifting from macroscopic to microscopic plasticity helps us understand mechanisms that can help us develop high-strength metallic materials. Things that prevent dislocation dynamics or generation, such as other dislocations and grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials, lead to higher strength.

The interesting and well-written paper