Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Fellow in Materials Science and Engineering
Affiliate faculty in applied Mathematics and Civil Engineering

Education

Ph.D., Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, June 2002 – June 2006
Thesis research: “Multi-scale Continuum Theory for Microstructured Materials” • Reading Committee: B. Moran (chair), W.K. Liu and G.B. Olson

Awards

  • PECASE: Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (Highest U.S. government honor awarded to promising scientists and researchers), 2017
  • Outstanding Graduate Educator, Mechanical Engineering, CU-Boulder, 2017
  • National Science Foundation CAREER award, 2014
  • Dean’s Faculty fellowship, College of Applied Science and Engineering, CU-Boulder, 2013
  • Young Researcher Award, Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, CU-Boulder, 2012
  • Junior Faculty Development Award, CU-Boulder, 2008
    Office of Naval Research Grant for research assistantship 2001-2006

Research interests

  • Computational/Statistical Mechanics of Soft Matter
  • Mechanics of Dynamic Polymers & Soft Machines
  • Active particles and locomotion
  • Intelligent and Bio-inspired Matter

Publications

Funded project

  • Mechanics of soft matter under extreme deformation, 3M research contract, 01/01/2018 – 12/31/2020

  • Ultrathin Deformable Materials and Protective Coatings Bio-inspired by Scaled Skins (PI). National Science Foundation, Biomaterials Program, Div. Materials Research, 07/15/14 – 07/14/17
  • CAREER: In-Silico Tissue Engineering: An Active-Learning Computational Method- ology to Guide the Design of Tissue Scaffolds (PI) National Science Foundation, Design of Engineering Materials program, 02/01/14 – 12/31/19
  • Personalizing Matrix Assisted Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation R01 (Co-PI) National Institute of Health, 09-12-13 – 08-31-18
  • Interaction between soft particles and membranes (PI), Membrane Science, Engineering and Technology center, 01/01/14-12/31/16
  • Engineering Bimodal Degrading Hydrogels, National Institute of Health Award (Co-I), 04-01-11 – 03-31-13
  • An innovative look at fibroblast evolution through multi-physics modeling (PI), Seed Grant, CRCW, University of Colorado, 09-01-10 – 08-31-12
  • Multiscale Biomimetic Study of the Mechanics of Fish Scales (PI), National Science Foundation, Nano and Bio Mechanics program, 02-01-10 – 01-31-13
  • Experimental Study and Theoretical Modeling of High Performance Recycled Aggregate Concrete (PI), National Science Foundation, Structural Materials and Mechanics, 05-01-09 – 05-31-12
  • YFA: Biomimetics Study of Fish Scale Structures (PI), Young Faculty Award, CRCW, University of Colorado, 07-01-08 – 06-03-09