Faculty

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Machine learning applies to any situation where there is data that we are trying to make sense of, and a target function that we cannot mathematically pin down. The spectrum of applications is huge, going from financial forecasting to medical diagnosis to industrial inspection to recommendation systems, to name a few. The field encompasses neural networks, statistical inference, and data mining.

Professor of Geochemistry and Global Environmental Science

Professor Adkins focuses on geochemical investigations of past climates using corals, sediments and their interstitial waters; Rate of deep ocean circulation and its relation to mechanisms of rapid climate changes; Metals as tracers of environmental processes; Radiocarbon and U-series chronology. Chemical oceanography.

Associate Professor of Civil and Mechanical Engineering

Professor Andrade's research focuses on developing fundamental understanding of the multiscale and multiphysical behavior of porous media, with especial application to geologic and engineered infrastructure materials.

Howard Hughes Professor and Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science; Director, Resnick Sustainability Institute

Professor Atwater focuses on electronic and photonic materials and devices, photovoltaics, and materials for micromechanical devices.

Professor of Computer Science

Professor Barr's research involves (1) mathematical simulation methods for computer graphics (2) developing new types of mathematical and computational methods for the study of biophysical behaviors and structures and (3) technological leveraging for medical health care and new medical devices.

George W. Housner Professor of Engineering and Applied Science

Professor Beck focuses on the development of theory and algorithms for stochastic system modeling, uncertainty propagation and Bayesian updating of dynamic systems, treating both modeling and excitation uncertainty. The primary computational tools are advanced stochastic simulation algorithms based on Markov chain Monte Carlo concepts. Some applications of current interest are the stochastic prediction of performance of structural systems under earthquakes, fast automated decision making for mitigation actions based on earthquake early warning systems, earthquake source inversions from seismic sensor networks, damage detection and assessment from structural sensor monitoring networks, and a stochastic mechanics approach to quantum mechanics.

Professor of Applied Physics

Professor Bellan focuses on experimental and theoretical plasma physics.

Howell N. Tyson, Sr., Professor of Mechanics and Professor of Materials Science; Executive Officer for Mechanical and Civil Engineering

Professor Bhattacharya focuses on mechanics of materials, continuum mechanics, active materials, and thin films.

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Guillaume Blanquart focuses on modeling the interactions between combustion processes and turbulent flows. At the center of the work are fundamental problems such as the formation of pollutants, the effects of turbulence on the dynamics of nano-particles and liquid droplets, and various hydrodynamic and flame instabilities.

Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering

Professor Bordoni is interested in the dynamics of important atmospheric processes that influence weather and climate. Her work specifically focuses on the dynamics of monsoon systems, and aims at understanding fundamental dynamical mechanisms which are implicated in their existence, their location and different geographical features, and which might help understand how monsoons change with changing climates.

Chevron Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering

John Brady focuses on fluid mechanics and transport processes, and complex and multiphase fluids.

Gordon and Betty Moore Professor of Computation and Neural Systems and Electrical Engineering

Professor Bruck focuses on distributed computing, fault-tolerant computing, wireless systems, computation in neural and biological systems.

Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics

Our efforts concern development of accurate, high-performance numerical PDE solvers applicable to realistic scientific and engineering configurations. Major theoretical and computational difficulties arise in associated areas of PDE theory, numerical analysis and computational science as a result of manifold complexities, including intricate geometries, solution singularities, resonances, nonlinearities, high-frequencies, dispersion, etc. Fourier Continuation (FC) and integral-equation techniques recently developed in our group have enabled accurate solution of previously intractable PDE problems of fundamental importance in science and engineering.

Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering

Professor Burdick focuses on robotics, kinematics, mechanical systems and control. Active research areas include: robotic locomotion, sensor-based motion planning algorithms, multi-fingered robotic manipulation, applied nonlinear control theory, neural prosthetics, and medical applications of robotics.

President; Professor of Civil Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering

Chameau's interests include sustainable technology; environmental geotechnology; soil dynamics; earthquake engineering; and liquefaction of soils.

Simon Ramo Professor and Professor of Computer Science; Deputy Chair for Education

Professor Chandy builds and analyzes systems that sense and respond to changes. He is currently working on systems that sense and respond to: (a) seismic events, (b) threat events such as the introduction of nuclear radiation material, (c) medical events such a fetal distress, and (d) events in the power grid. The systems use sensor networks, cloud computing and event-driven architecture. The theory is based on optimization, control, machine learning and game theory.

Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering

Professor Choo studies the underlying mechanisms of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). An unbiased, accurate understanding of the SERS mechanisms will lead to the design and fabrication of nanoscale SERS structures with superior yet uniform Raman enhancement for numerous useful applications. To elucidate the origin of SERS, well-established micro/nanofabrication techniques and creative experimental approaches are combined with numerical simulations and theoretical analysis. His present research effort focuses on assembling an AFM-Raman system that enables the simultaneous observation and correlation of SERS hotspots and enhancing surface geometry at nanoscale resolution.

Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Professor Colonius develops and uses algorithms for simulation of complex, multiscale flow phenomena. Simulations can provide key insights into the mechanics of unsteady flows, including understanding of local and global instabilites, sources of sound, shock dynamics, and interactions with a disperse phase such as cavitaiton bubbles. The simulations also provide important data for reduced-order modeling efforts and control.

Professor of Aeronautics and Bioengineering

Professor Dabiri focuses on mechanics and dynamics of biological propulsion, and fluid dynamic energy conversion.

Space-Related Research

Bio-inspired design of propulsion devices; in-situ flow diagnostics.

Professor of Aeronautics and Applied Physics

Professor Daraio focuses on materials science, condensed matter physics, and solid mechanics.