PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University professor Hussein M. Zbib has been named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a distinction that recognizes exceptional engineering achievement and contributions to the engineering profession.
The professor of mechanical and materials engineering is interested in researching solid mechanics and materials with emphasis on deformation, mechanical properties and manufacturing processes. In particular, he has worked to understand the basic mechanics underlying deformation of metals.
He developed theoretical models to simulate the behavior of materials, such as copper, that are exposed to high doses of radiation. It was well known that such materials can deform and fail, but the mechanics were not well understood until Zbib and his co-workers developed a new class of computational tools.
He is applying his work to establishing models that can predict the mechanical behavior of materials at small scales (nanotechnology). He is also working with researchers in civil engineering to better understand the mechanics and deformation of soil and asphalt. His work has appeared in many international journals, most notably in Nature. His model and theories are being used by scientists and engineers at four national laboratories and at many universities.
“The methodology established by Zbib and his co-workers has been one of the most visible recent developments in the computational materials sciences in the last two decades,” says Belakavadi Ramaprian, director of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at WSU.
Zbib received a doctorate in mechanical engineering and engineering mechanics from Michigan Technological University (MTU) in 1987 in the area of solid mechanics. He came to WSU in 1988 and was promoted to professor in 1998. He received a research excellence award from the College of Engineering and Architecture in 1994 and from the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering in 2000. His publication record includes five edited books and more than 125 technical articles.
