PLENARY LECTURERS
Plenary lectures will be delivered by prominent figures of great scientific reputation in the field of mechanics of materials. To date, the following scientists have confirmed their participation.
Professor Markus J. Buehler
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
SUMMARY
Markus J. Buehler is the McAfee Professor of Engineering at MIT (an Institute-wide Endowed Chair), a member of the Center for Materials Science and Engineering, and the Center for Computational Science and Engineering at the Schwarzman College of Computing. He holds academic appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering. In his research, Professor Buehler pursues new modeling, design and manufacturing approaches for advanced biomaterials that offer greater resilience and a wide range of controllable properties from the nano- to the macroscale. His interests include a variety of functional material properties including mechanical, optical and biological, linking chemical features, hierarchical and multiscale structures, to performance in the context of physiological, pathological and other extreme conditions. His methods include molecular and multiscale modeling, design, as well as experimental synthesis and characterization.
INTERESTS
His particular interest lies in the mechanics of complex hierarchical materials with features across scales (e.g. nanotubes, graphene and natural biomaterial nanostructures including protein materials such as intermediate filaments and hair, collagen, silk and elastin, and other structural biomaterials). An expert in computational materials science and AI, he has pioneered the field of materiomics, and demonstrated broad impacts in the study of mechanical properties of complex materials, including predictive materials design and manufacturing. Between 2013-2020, Buehler served as Department Head of MIT’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. He has held numerous other leadership roles at professional organizations, including a term as President of the Society of Engineering Science (SES).
Professor Norman A. Fleck, FREng, FRS
Professor of Mechanics and Materials
Engineering Department
University of Cambridge, UK
SUMMARY
Norman Fleck is an engineer whose research concerns the mechanical behaviour of solids under different conditions at the microscopic level. His major contributions have arisen in the area of novel materials and their applications in a wide range of activities, including the aerospace, automotive and construction industries. Examples include his studies of failure under compression in fibre-reinforced composites, a combination of waste cellulose fibres, such as sawdust, and polymer resin.
INTEREST
Norman is also known for his work on the properties of metal foams — air-filled materials that have potential as impact absorbers in cars — and on stiff but lightweight lattice materials that can be used in aircraft. Norman is notable for combining his theoretical understanding with enthusiasm for experiment and application. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2013 Warner T. Koiter Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in recognition of his leadership in the international solid mechanics community, and an honourary doctorate from Eindhoven University of Technology, also in 2013.