Undergraduate Research in Experimental Solid Mechanics

Ryan Berke is an Associate Director of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and the Director of the Mechanics at Extreme Temperatures Laboratory. He is looking for students interested and studying engineering or similar studies to join him and his team for a paid hourly research position. Students are also eligible for multiple grants from the Air Force Research Lab and the US Department of Energy.

Professor Berke’s lab's focus is experimental solid mechanics, with an emphasis on extreme temperature environments. In layman's terms: they heat and load solid objects until they deform and break, and they take measurements to tell others how not to break them. Applications include spacecraft re-entry, hypersonic flight, gas turbine engines, rocket nozzles, accident-tolerant nuclear fuels and claddings, and next-generation nuclear reactors. They also use a lot of camera based measurements because cameras are non-contacting and can be positioned a safe distance away to protect them from harsh testing environments.

The lab is taking students at all levels, freshman through PhD. Professor Berke is used to meeting students where they're at and pairing them with a project that fits with their research and career interests.