The subject of this blog is a fracture mechanical study of soft polymers. It is well written and technically detailed which makes the reading a good investment. The paper is:

"Experimental and numerical assessment of the work of fracture in injection-moulded low-density polyethylene" by Martin Kroon, Eskil Andreasson, Viktor Petersson, Pär A.T. Olsson in Engineering Fracture Mechanics 192 (2018) 1–11.

I am deeply saddened to share this news.

http://news.mit.edu/2020/professor-emeritus-ali-argon-pioneer-mechanics…

Ali will be missed by many of us.

25th International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics – 23 - 28 August 2020, Milano. Italy.

www.ictam2020.org  

The extended abstract uploading will close on January 10th, 2020.

This is a corrected, revised and expanded edition. I added new Chapter 11 on modeling fracture in soft materials. Arguably, fracture is the central and unsolved problem in solid mechanics. I describe a new perspective on this problem based on the material sink approach, in which momenta and mass balance are coupled.

The Onck-group at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands has an opening for a post-doctoral position in the field of (coarse-grained) molecular dynamics of proteins. The candidate should have a background in molecular dynamics of hard or soft matter and is not afraid to enter a new research direction. The post-doc position is part of the oLife Fellowship Programme, a joint initiative by seven research institutes in The Netherlands for interdisciplinary research on fundamental questions concerning the origin and evolution of life. The university of Groningen is a top-1

Zheng Jia, of Zhejiang University, will be the next Editor of the iMechanica Journal Club. The Journal Club was initiated in January 2007, soon after the launch of iMechanica. It has quickly grown into a flagship feature of iMechanica, epitomizing the vibrant topics and dynamic researchers at the frontier of mechanics.

There are multiple EPSRC-funded PhD studentships in my research group and especially the following topics at the University of Kent, UK. 

• 4D printing and Smart Devices 
• Data-Driven Modelling of Metamaterials
• Macroscale Modelling of Composite Structures

There are also possible opportunities to work with my industrial partners and overseas collaborations.

The 2019 Timoshenko Medal Acceptance Lecture by Prof. J.N. Reddy of Texas A&M Univerisity has been published as a Guest Editorial in the Journal of Applied Mechanics, as attached.

A four-year fully-funded PhD studentship in the optimisation of 3D woven composites at Durham University, with applications due by 1 February 2020. If you are interested in simulations and the creation of non-vibrating components, check the links below for more details:

http://www.szyniszewski.com/2019/12/19/studentship/ 

An NIH-supported PhD position is available in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Instituite (WPI). Our lab focuses on the health of the central nervous system, with projects on traumatic brain injury and surgical image guidance of spinal surgical procedures. The student will have freedome to focus either on computational biomechanics, experimetnal biomechanics, or medical imaging, or a combination of these elements. Our lab works closely with other engineers and clinicians. Students with a minimum of GPA of 3.5 are encouraged to apply.