Members

Completed Ph.D. Students:

  1. Manu John (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated December 2009). Dissertation title: “A Self-Healing Smart Syntactic Foam Based Grid Stiffened Sandwich Structure”;
  2. Wei Xu (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated December 2010). Dissertation title: “Modeling and Simulation of Shape Memory Polymer Based Self-healing Syntactic Foam”;
  3. Gefu Ji (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated December 2010). Dissertation title: “Modeling and Testing of Cohesive Law Based Mixed Mode Fracture of Adhesively Bonded Structures”;
  4. Jones Nji (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated May 2011). (received the Best Ph.D. Student Paper Award, Second Place, at the 2011 ASME/PVP International Conference in Baltimore, Maryland on 07/20/2011). Dissertation title: “A Biomimetic Self-Healing Shape Memory Polymer Based Syntactic Foam for Smart Structural Composites”.
  5. Amir Shojaei (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated May 2012). (received the 2012 Best RA Award in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA on 04/21/2012). Dissertation title: “Multi-Scale Viscoplastic-Viscodamage Analysis of Shape Memory Polymer Fibers with Application to Self-Healing Smart Materials”.
  6. Fariborz Tavangarian (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated December 2014). Dissertation title: “Crack Self-Healing in SiC/Spinel Nanocomposite”.
  7. Pengfei Zhang (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated August 2015). Dissertation title: “Healing-on-demand Polymer Composites Based on Shape Memory Polyurethane Fibers and Artificial Muscles”
  8. Qianxi Yang (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduate May 2017). (received the 2015 Best Presentation Award in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, on 04/21/2015; also received the 2016 Best RA Award in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA , on 04/23/2016). Dissertation title “Thermomechancial Modeling of Polymeric Actuators”.
  9. Jizhou Fan (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated July 2019) (Currently Postdoctoral Research Associate at LSU, who received the best RA Award in 2018 in the Annual Graduate Students Paper Competition in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at LSU) Dissertation title: “High Enthalpy Storage Thermoset Network with Giant Stress and Energy Output in Rubbery State and Associated Applications”;
  10. Cheng Yan (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated May 2022) (Currently Assistant Professor at Southern University, who received the best RA Award in 2022 in the Annual Graduate Students Paper Competition in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at LSU; he was also nominated to receive the 2022 distinguished dissertation award at LSU by the College of Engineering.). Dissertation title: “Machine learning assisted discovery of shape memory polymers and their thermomechanical modeling”;
  11. Siavash Sarrafan (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated May 2023) (He received the Best Presentation Award in the 20th Annual Graduate Students Research Competition in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering on April 29, 2023; he also received the Second Place
  12. Award in the Oral Presentation in the area of Engineering and Technology in the LSU Inaugural Graduate Research Conference (GRC) on April 26, 2023.) Dissertation title: “Shape Memory Polymer-Based Multifunctional Syntactic Foams”;
  13. 12. Adithya Challapalli (LSU, Ph.D.) (Graduated May 2023). Dissertation title: “Light-Weight Structural Optimization through Biomimicry, Machine Learning, and Inverse Design”;

On-going Ph.D. Students:

  1. John Konlan (LSU, Ph.D.) (Expected graduation May 2024)
  2. Amir Teimouri (LSU, Ph.D.) (Expected graduation May 2028)
  3. Emmanuel Igbokwe (LSU, Ph.D.) (Expected graduation May 2028)
  4. Alireza Ostadrahimi (LSU, Ph.D.) (Expected graduation May 2027)
  5. Winston Capps (LSU, Ph.D.) (Expected graduation May 2028)

Completed M.S. Students:

  1. Dinesh Maricherla (LSU, MS) (Graduated December, 2005). Thesis title: “Advanced Grid Stiffened Composite Structures”
  2. Amanuel Ghebreyesus (SU, MS) (Graduated December, 2005). Thesis title: “Grid Stiffened FRP Reinforced Concrete Beams”
  3. Samuel Adeoye (SU, MS), (Graduated July, 2007). Thesis title: “Fabricating, Testing, and Modeling of FRP Grid Reinforced Concrete Slab”
  4. Jones Nji (SU, MS), (Graduated July, 2007). Thesis title: “Development of Rubberized Syntactic Foam”
  5. Dinesh Venkata Muthyala (LSU, MS), (Graduated December, 2007). Thesis title: “Composite Sandwich Structure with Grid Stiffened Core”
  6. Ravi Velamarthy (LSU, MS), (Graduated December, 2007). Thesis title: “Fabricating, Testing, and Modeling of Advanced Grid Stiffened FRP Tube Confined Concrete Cylinders”
  7. Venkata Sandeep Chakka (LSU, MS), (Graduated December, 2008). Thesis title: “Isogrid Stiffened Syntactic Foam Cored Sandwich Structure”
  8. Gefu Ji (LSU, M.S.) (Graduated December, 2008). Thesis title: “Nanoclay Reinforced Polymer Composite and Its Application to Hybrid Composite Structures”
  9. Damon Nettles (LSU, M.S.) (Graduated December, 2009). Thesis title: “Thermomechanical Characterization of a Shape Memory Polymer Based Syntactic Foam”
  10. Naveen Uppu (SU, M.S.) (Graduated December, 2009). Thesis title: “3-D Confined Thermomechanical Characterization of a Shape Memory Polymer Based Self-Healing Syntactic Foam”.
  11. Abe King (LSU, M.S.) (Graduated July, 2011). Thesis title: “Biaxial Thermomechanical Cycle of a Shape Memory Polymer Based Syntactic Foam”.
  12. Jay Kumar Perneedi, (SU, M.S.) (Graduated December, 2011). Thesis title: “Mixed Mode Programming and Shape Memory Functionality of Thermosetting SMPs”
  13. Anqi Wang (LSU, M.S.) (Graduated July, 2012). Thesis title: “High Strain Rate Programming of Shape Memory Polymer”
  14. Oludayo Ajisafe (SU, M.S.) (Graduated December, 2012). Thesis title: “Effect of Fiber Pre-strain on the Healing Efficiency of Thermoset Polymers”.
  15. Savyasree Bejgum (SU, M.S.) (Graduated August 2013). Thesis title: “Shape memory polymer fiber reinforced self-healing composites”
  16. Angela Davis (SU, M.S.) (Graduated December 2014). Thesis title: “Thermomechanical Characterization of A Shape Memory Polymer”
  17. Soodabeh Sharafi (LSU, MS) (Graduated August 2015). Thesis title: “Multiscale Modeling of Smart Material under Static and Dynamic Thermomechanical Loading”
  18. Anqi Wang (LSU, MS in Materials Science and Engineering) (Graduated May 2016). Thesis title: “Experimental and Modeling Study on Stress Memory Polymers”
  19. Obed Tetteh (SU, MS) (Graduated December 2023). Thesis title: “Evaluation of the repeated intrinsic healing capability and design of a new orthogrid-stiffened vitrimeric sandwich panel under low-velocity impact”

Completed M.S. Students (Co-Chair):

  1. Gregory Garrick (LSU, MS) (Graduated May, 2004) (co-advise with Dr. D. Jerro). Thesis title: “Analysis and Testing of Waste Tire Fiber Modified Concrete”
  2. Indrani V. Volety (LSU, MS) (Graduated May, 2006) (co-advise with Dr. Y. Ram). Thesis title: “Modeling of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Confined Concrete Cylinders”
  3. Jerry Alan Peck (LSU, MS), (Graduated August, 2006) (co-advise with Dr. S.S. Pang). Thesis title: “Effect of Light Intensity and Weld Thickness on the Performance of UV-Cured FRP Composite Joints”
  4. Babatunde Ogunmekan (SU, MS), (Graduated December 2014) (Co-advise with Dr. Samuel Ibekwe). Thesis title: “Healing Efficiency of Shape Memory Polymer Reinforced Syntactic Foam under Applied Load”
  5. Ukeamezhim Ayaugbokor (SU, MS), (Graduated December 2015) (Co-advise with Dr. Samuel Ibekwe). Thesis title: “Self-Healing Efficiency of A Grid Stiffened Carbon Fiber and Artificial Muscle Reinforced Ionomeric Composite”
  6. Mark Gabriel (SU, MS), (Graduated December 2015) (Co-advise with Dr. Samuel Ibekwe). Thesis title: “Development and characterization of self-healing carbon fabric/ionomer composite through stitched polymeric artificial muscle”
  7. Everest Emmanuel Ejigiri (SU, MS), (Graduated August 2015) (Co-advise with Dr. Samuel Ibekwe). Thesis title: “Investigation into Thermomechanical Properties of Ionomer Fiber”
  8. Chidinma Imediegwu (SU, MS), (Graduated December 2015) (Co-advise with Dr. Samuel Ibekwe). Thesis title: “An ionomer particle based self-healing particulate composite”.
  9. Hasan Sulu (SU, MS), (Graduated December 2018) (Co-advise with Dr. Samuel Ibekwe). Thesis title: “Self-closure of Fractured Surfaces of a Composite Materials during the Healing Process”
  10. John Konlan (SU, MS), (Graduated August 2020) (Co-advise with Dr. Samuel Ibekwe). Thesis title: “Sustainability of glass fiber reinforced self-healable shape memory polymer composite laminates with shape memory allow z-pins”
  11. Henry Quansah Afful (SU, MS), (Graduated August 2020) (Co-advise with Dr. Samuel Ibekwe). Thesis title: “Effect of uniaxial compression on the shape memory behavior of unidirectional vitrimer composite embedded with tension programmed shape memory polymer fibers”
  12. Obinna Nwokonkwo (SU, MS), (Graduated August 2020) (Co-advise with Dr. Samuel Ibekwe). Thesis title: “Numerical evaluation of an indirect heating method for self-healing in shape memory fiber-reinforced polymers using high intensity focused ultrasound”