Postdoc openings at the University of Pennsylvania

Dear Colleagues,

I have an immediate need for 1-2 new postdocs in my group at the University of Pennsylvania. Depending on a candidate's background and experience, there are several possible project areas:

1. Development of novel manufacturing methods. We are working on a new manufacturing idea based on bioinspired distributed agents. Instead of following the deterministic strategy of traditional manufacturing (pre-determine a long set of sequential steps), can we manufacture structures from the collective action of many simple agents? Currently this work is relying heavily on simulations (i.e., simulating the effects of the actions of many agents), so a background in computer science, numerical methods, etc. is useful.

2. Failure of architected materials. 3D printers offer the ability to precisely control internal geometric features in solids. These features play a very large role in determining how architected materials fail. How can we design structures to control crack propagation, to maximize energy absorption, or to delay the onset of fatigue failure? This project requires a deep background in fracture mechanics and comfort with both numerical and experimental methods.

3. Nonlinear waves in reconfigurable mechanical metamaterials. We are studying how large-amplitude waves propagate through flexible architected solids, looking at the interplay of nonlinear waves and geometry, interactions among multiple waves, etc. A background in nonlinear dynamics and familiarity with a variety of experimental and numerical methods is important.

4. Soft robots and active materials. We are designing soft robots composed of various active materials that sense and respond to changes in the environment. An experimental background in materials science, soft materials, etc., is important for this project. We are also exploring how these systems "compute" based on environmental input, so familiarity with concepts from information theory is a plus.

If you know of any candidates who would be interested in one or more of the above, please have them write to me at raney@seas.upenn.edu.

Thank you!

Jordan Raney