GAANN Fellowships in Computational Materials Science and Engineering

Novel Materials and Nanotechnology

The major objectives of nanotechnology are the design, modeling, and fabrication of materials, machines, and devices at the molecular level. Modeling is an economical and effective way to explore the feasibility of molecular machines and devices, by rapidly evaluating and eliminating dead ends and selecting the most promising designs. Molecular CAD software, molecular modeling software, and related tools, are at the core of the development of novel materials and nanotechnology; major advances in this field require extensively trained scientists and engineers. Faculty members at Drexel University are involved in intense research efforts focusing on modeling molecular recognition in host/guest systems, atomic scale investigations of complex catalytic materials, molecular dynamics modeling of carbon nanotube or polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane reinforced polymers and thin films of complex organic compounds for enhanced capacity data storage devices.

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

The integration of engineering into the health sciences promises a revolution in new technologies that will help save lives. Drexel's combined expertise in computational biology is currently tackling critical areas such as cancer cell propagation, 3-dimensional breast tumor modeling, and large-scale computations on histology.

Computational Materials for Critical Defense Applications

Drexel University is in an excellent position to implement efforts in this area as the home to the Materials Center of Excellence of the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) on protective polymer based systems. Its objective is to advance the field of polymer technology on vehicle durability and lethality. One of the three thrusts of the center is the use of multiscale modeling and simulation to research fundamental aspects of the physical and mechanical response of polymers with applications in the development of lightweight vehicles.

Computer Aided Modeling of Materials in Manufacturing

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering and collaborating faculty members maintain a high level of funded research in this area including: (a) extensive collaboration with Merck, Inc. & Co., pursuing the development of a science basis for the processing of pharmaceuticals, with emphasis on computer modeling and optimization of pharmaceutical formulations and multilayer/multi drug systems, (b) continuous collaboration (since 1997) with 3M in the area of polymer/solvent coatings systems addressing computationally combined flow and diffusion problems in multilayer coatings, (c) intensive research on plasma-assisted high-rate deposition and micro fabrication in novel plasma reactors, particularly in the development of novel computational high-resolution "discharge physics models," and (d) close collaboration with the nation's largest car manufacturer, General Motors, in simulations of metal processing in an effort to provide the low weight, low cost alloys desperately required to make our car industry competitive.

Design and Optimization of Multifunctional Materials

Recent interdisciplinary research in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel University has led to the development of a new computational framework, called Microstructure-Sensitive Design (MSD), for the design of optimized material microstructure in multi-functional applications. This highly efficient methodology is already being used in situations ranging from low cost Titanium for ballistic defense to improved friction stir welds.

Digital Signal Processing in Advanced Materials Characterization

There is no doubt that many of the recent successes in materials science and engineering are owed to the advanced computational signal processing algorithms implemented in spectroscopy techniques, high resolution microtomography, and orientation imaging microscopy. Further advances in this exciting area of technology require multidisciplinary trained scientists and engineers that have insight into the physics of the material properties sought and an understanding of the potential of the most advanced digital signal processing algorithms. Current lines of research pursued at Drexel include detection and characterization of molecules related to cancer development using Raman spectroscopy and non-linear models of 3D reconstruction of x-ray absorption maps from transmission of polychromatic x-ray beams.

International/Industrial Experience

Providing real world experience and global exposure to the GAANN Fellows is an integral component of the CMSE program that addresses the need to train outstanding future academics and scientists. All Fellows will participate in either an international research collaboration or an industrial internship, arranged through one of our international collaborators or industry contacts.