Micromechanics Laboratory
University of Wisconsin
Researchers
Students, collaborators and friends
[Rod Lakes Home]
[Negative Poisson's ratio] [Viscoelasticity] [Cosserat solids] [Biomechanics] [Industrial research]
  We are interested in materials with heterogeneous structure, including natural composites such as bone, ligament, and wood, as well as synthetic composites and cellular solids. We investigate the freedom of natural and synthesized materials to behave in ways not anticipated in elementary continuum representations, and to attain physical properties of much higher magnitude than anticipated from standard theories. Viscoelastic materials are of particular interest as high performance damping materials and as materials which undergo creep in industrial settings. We determine viscoelastic properties over eleven orders of magnitude of frequency, with no need for temperature shifts.
  A major theme of research in our laboratory is the creation and characterization of materials with extreme and unusual physical properties. We have developed materials with reversed properties, including negative Poisson's ratio, negative stiffness, and negative thermal expansion.
  We pursue basic research as well as applied research for industry.
The Micromechanics Laboratory is located in room 212 of the Engineering Research Building (ERB).
Facilities: Go.
Collaborators:
W. Bonfield (Cambridge), Biomaterials
R. Carpick (Wisconsin, on leave at Penn), nano-mechanics
R. Cooper (Brown), Materials Science, Geology
S. Cramer (Wisconsin), Civil Engineering, wood
W. Drugan (Wisconsin), Theoretical Mechanics
D. Eyre (Utah) Mathematics of composites
J. L. Katz (Case Western and Kansas City Dental), Biomedical engineering, Biomechanics
X. Li (Wisconsin), Composite synthesis
A. Lal (Cornell) Electrical; Resonant Ultrasound
G. Milton (Utah) Mathematics of composites
J. Park, (Iowa) Biomaterials
A. Ruina A. Ruina 2 (Cornell) Bicycle mechanics, walking, mechanics
D. Stone (Wisconsin), Materials Science
S. S. Sternstein (RPI) Polymers, composites
C. Swan (Iowa) Theory of Composites
R. Vanderby (Wisconsin), Biomechanics. College page

Other groups
R. Behringer (Duke) Physics of granular materials
D. Bigoni (Trento, Italy) Solid mechanics
L. Berlyand (Penn State) Mathematics, composite materials
A. Cherkaev (Utah) Mathematics of composites
R. Gibala (Michigan) Materials, internal friction
J. Jenkins (Cornell) Mechanics, granular materials
R. Leisure (Colorado State) , Resonant Ultrasound, internal friction
A. Sastry (Michigan) Multiscale materials
F. Scarpa (Bristol, England) Advanced composites
O. Sigmund (Lyngby, Denmark) Topology optimization
S. White (Illinois) Composites, self healing polymers
A. Wineman (Michigan) Rheology, continuum mechanics
K. W. Wojciechowski (Poznan, Poland) Computational physics, advanced heterogeneous media including negative Poisson's ratio
Visiting Scholar
Xinchun Shang,
Professor in Solid Mechanics and Associate Head of the Department
University of Science and Technology, Beijing, Spring 2005.

Students:
J. Capodagli, Polymer viscoelasticity.
J. Dandrea, Engine alloys
C. Mertz, wood wechanics, with Dr. S. Cramer, Civil Engineering.
E. Sritham, cheese viscoelasticity, with Dr. S. Gunasekaran
Advanced Material Stability Group, R. Lakes, P. I.
M. Castillo, Advanced materials, biomaterials
P. Kohlhepp (with Dr. R. Carpick)
B. Moore (with R. Lakes)
C. Sabo (with R. Lakes and Dr. R. Carpick)
H. W. Yap (with Dr. R. Carpick)
Liang Dong (with D. Stone)

Recent group alumni and last known location.
B. Brandel, Chipless Metals
P. Buechner, U. S. Patent Office
A. Butenhoff
P. Frascone, Trek
D. Kochmann, (with Dr. W. Drugan), Fulbright fellow. Lehrstuhl fŸr Allgemeine Mechanik, Ruhr-Universitat Bochum
T. Jaglinski, Ph. D. (2006). Shock physics group, Washington State University.
R. Hingorani, medical school
T. Lee, PhD, 2001. Harvard University, now at University of Singapore
M. Ludwigson, Whitewater, WI
K. MacMillan, Medical Physics
E. Manley, Boston University
C. Marquez, Americorps
S. Nimityongskul, Spacecraft Dynamics studies, University of Wisconsin
A. Oza, St. Jude Medical, Los Angeles, California
T. Schmidt
R. Schmitz, ATA Aircraft
A. Singh, ATS Corp., Bordentown New Jersey
M. Torres
Y. C. Wang, Faculty, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.
J. Villerd (with Dr. W. Drugan), France
B. Welbes, Boeing
research group
Research group, 2005. Seated, from left, S. Nimityongskul, J. Capodagli, B. Moore. Standing, T. Jaglinski, R. Lakes, D. Kochmann, A. Singh. Not present, C. Mertz, J. Villerd.
Research group
Research group, 2002. From left, R. Lakes, A. Oza (ligament), E. Manley (ligament), T. Jaglinski (metal creep), B. Welbes (advanced material development), R. Hingorani (ligament), Y. C. Wang (advanced material development). Not present, T. Schmidt.

lab, collaborators with laser
Prof. Crone, Carpick, and Lakes in the holography laboratory.
Viscoelasticity lab
We thank the National Science Foundation and the Department of Agriculture for support.
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