My research focus is processing-structure-property relationships in light metals.  In order to accelerate the development of new materials, it is important to be able to predict local mechanical properties and their evolution through processing.  I conduct quantitative microstructure characterization in order to generate microstructural descriptors that can be used for model calibration and validation and I develop analytical models to describe microstructure evolution as a function of processing history. My research can be roughly divided into two areas:  (1) recrystallization, grain growth, and texture evolution in wrought materials and (2) microstructure evolution and solidification segregation in cast alloys.   An understanding of the evolution of mechanical properties (primarily strength, ductility, and formability) can be obtained by applying a mechanistic understanding of how microstructure affects properties in these systems.

As a member of the PRedictive Structural Materials Science (PRISMS) Center, my research is focused on computational materials modeling of the thermodynamics and kinetics of crystalline materials through the development of new automated computational tools and materials databases. I am a co-lead developer of the open-source statistical mechanics software package, CASM, and a domain scientist helping to develop Materials Commons, a knowledge repository and collaboration platform for the materials community.

Research focuses on characterization of materials by analytical electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques and synthesis of nanostructured materials by electron and focused ion beams as well as wet chemical methods.

My primary research interest is in multiscale computational plasticity and damage mechanics of crystalline materials, composites, and ceramics with emphasis on the theoretical modeling, numerical simulation of material behavior, and experimental correlation. Research activities of particular interest includes modelling at different length scales including atomistic simulation, crystal plasticity finite element method, and local and nonlocal continuum plasticity. Central to my research is serving as a lead developer of PRISMS-Plasticity software, which is an open-source parallel 3-D crystal plasticity and continuum plasticity finite element code.