David A. Schmidt Associate Professor, NTS, David Schmidt received his Ph.D. in 2009 from Carnegie Mellon University. His dissertation developed computational-based methods tailored to soft tissue mechanics and tissue engineered cardiovascular systems. Prior to his doctoral studies, Dr. Schmidt held several positions in aerospace, defense and manufacturing industries. His early career concentrated on simulation technologies at ANSYS. Throughout his career, Dr. Schmidt’s primary interest has focused on the integration of engineering design, manufacturing and computational methods. His recent research experience has been in the areas of middle ear gas exchange mechanisms, multi-scale tissue biomechanics, robotic assisted surgery and trachea stenting devices based on an emerging class of biodegradable magnesium alloys. Other research areas include predictive modeling for near-net hot isostatic processing and material characterization for biodegradable alloys. Nitin Sharma Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D from University of Florida. Dr. Sharma’s areas of expertise is in robust control design of uncertain nonlinear systems. His current research projects include intelligent and robust control of neuromuscular electrical stimulation; control of functional electrical stimulation for walking and arm/hand function restoration; and modeling, optimization, and control of a hybrid walking system. He is a recipient of 2009 O. Hugo Schuck Award and Best Student Paper Award in Robotics at the 2009 ASME Dynamic Systems and Controls Conference. He was also a finalist for the Best Student Paper Award at the 2008 IEEE Multi-Conference on Systems and Control. William S. Slaughter Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, Ph.D. in Engineering Science, Harvard University, 1991. Dr. Slaughter has varied interests in the area of theoretical solid mechanics. These include the development of models to characterize sintering processes of powdered materials, the study of enhanced strain-hardening associated with plastic deformation at very high strain gradients, fatigue and failure in bioprosthetic heart valves, and lifetime prediction models for power generation applications. Patrick Smolinski Associate Professor, Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Northwestern University 1985. Dr. Smolinski's research interest is in computational and experimental methods for problems in biomechanics. This includes the study of tissue properties, surgical procedures, injury mechanics and medical devices with particular emphasis on orthopaedic medicine. Albert Chi Fu To Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Ph.D from University of California, Berkeley, 2005 and postdoc at Northwestern University from 2005-2008. Dr. To’s areas of research include mechanics of 3D printed, bio-inspired, and nanoscale materials, multiscale mechanics theory and computational methods, nonequilibrium thermomechanical processes, multifunctional materials, wave propagation, dynamic fracture, inverse problems, and acoustic emission. His current research projects include several additive manufacturing projects and development of atomistic-continuum coupling method. Jeffrey S. Vipperman Professor, Director of Sound, Systems, and Structures Laboratory, Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Duke University, 1997. Dr. Vipperman's research is in the area of active systems at the micro (MEMS) and macro scales. In his research, the various related fields of acoustics, structural acoustics, dynamics, vibrations, control theory, and analog and digital signal processing are unified in order to achieve specific goals such as active control of noise, vibration, and biologic systems or signal classification.
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