There are two general research areas that have remained separate but ideas and methodologies developed in one have crossed over to the other, thereby enriching each other.

Granular Materials –

Constitutive relations for a dry particulate material, including the effect of particle spin, particle shape, as well as the distribution of particle size. Transition of quasi-static to rapidly sheared flows. Effects of electrostatic and other long range forces on granular assemblies. Interaction of machine boundaries with granular materials. Computational simulation of granular assemblies and polymer flows.

Sea Ice Dynamics –

Constitutive relations of marginal ice zones. Wave attenuation due to ice floe interactions in a wave field. Ice drift and collision rate in wave fields. Formation of pancake ice, limiting size and thickness of pancake ice covers. Ice productions rate in a wave field. Full rheological properties and dispersion relation of a general ice cover. Remote sensing analysis of ice motion. Laboratory experiments of ice formation and evolution using cold room facilities. Field experience in the Arctic (Greenland Sea) and the Antarctic (McMurdo/Scott Base).

Because of the multi-disciplinary nature of these research fields, these research activities have experienced collaboration with biologists, chemists, geologist, glaciologist, oceanographer, and physicists

Teaching Interests

Most courses taught are mechanics-based. Although these courses often rely on mathematics, the emphasis has always been on relating the mathematical results to the physical interpretation. Only a sound understanding of the underlying physical question can motivate the students to speak the mathematical language. The ability to speak and comprehend the mathematical language can then be developed to apply the knowledge of mechanics.

Graduate Courses –

Discrete Element Method, Coastal Engineering, Advanced Fluid Mechanics, Groundwater and Seepage, Sediment Transport, River and Estuarine Hydraulics, Hydrodynamic Dispersion, Continuum Mechanics, Nonlinear Mechanics

Undergraduate Courses –

Statics, Dynamics, Engineering for Non-Engineers, Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, Introduction to Engineering Use of Computers, Calculus II, Elementary Differential Equation, Fourier Series and Boundary Value Problems, Chaos and Coherency (Honors Science Course)

Broader Educational Interests

Outside of the research/teaching activities, the following experience has widened my view of services a normal faculty member can contribute to the young generation.

Associate Director of the Honors Program –

Overlook the thesis process, match and monitor 60 thesis students each year (juniors and seniors) with mentors, provide research training/monitoring/advising, and processing the review of theses; support academic advising and national competitions. Integrated research into curriculum from the pre-freshman to senior years.

NSF S-STEM program –

Mentoring, and enrichment workshops, summer courses, and summer research opportunities for 60 under-represented students in STEM fields to accomplish: High retention, high average GPA, and high summer research participation.

NSF International Research Experience for Undergraduate Students –

From 2000-2013 brought a total of 150 US undergraduate students to China for a 10-wk extensive summer research program at four leading universities in Marine Science and Engineering, and Advanced Materials. These students represent 43 different states in the US.