Alan Needleman
Encyclopedia
Alan Needleman was born in 1944 in Philadelphia, PA and is currently the Florence Pirce Grant University Professor of Mechanics
of Solids and Structures at Brown University
in Providence, RI. Professor Needleman received his B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1966, a M.S. and Ph.D. from Harvard University
in 1967 and 1970 respectively, advised by John W. Hutchinson
. He was an Instructor and Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
from 1970 to 1975. He has been a Professor of Engineering at Brown University
since 1975, and served as the Dean of the Engineering Department from 1988 to 1991. He was the chair of the Applied Mechanics Division
.
Professor Needleman's main research interests are in the computational modeling of deformation and fracture
processes in structural materials, in particular metals. A general objective is to provide quantitative relations between the measurable (and hopefully controllable) features of the materials' micro-scale structure and its macroscopic mechanical behavior. Ongoing research projects involve studies of ductile fracture and ductile-brittle transitions; crack growth in heterogeneous microstructure
s with particular emphasis on the role of interface
s; nonlocal and discrete dislocation plasticity; fatigue crack growth; and fast fracture
in brittle
solids.
Professor Needleman is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering
, a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
, a Fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics, an Honorary Member of MECAMAT (Groupe Français de Mecanique des Matériaux) and a Foreign Member of the Danish Center for Applied Mathematics and Mechanics. He has been recognized by Institute for Scientific Information
(ISI) Science Citation Index as a highly cited author both in Engineering
and in Materials Science
. In 1994, his work on 3D modeling of metallic fracture was a finalist in the Science Category for the Computerworld-Smithsonian Award. In 2006 he was the recipient of both the William Prager
Medal and the Drucker Medal
and received an Honorary Doctorate from Technical University of Denmark
(DTU).
Professor Needleman often collaborates with Viggo Tvergaard, John Hutchinson
, Subra Suresh
, and Eric Van der Giessen among others in both materials science
and mechanics
.
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
of Solids and Structures at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in Providence, RI. Professor Needleman received his B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1966, a M.S. and Ph.D. from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1967 and 1970 respectively, advised by John W. Hutchinson
John W. Hutchinson
John W. Hutchinson is a renowned scholar in the field of applied mechanics, and has made seminal contributions to the mechanics of structures and mechanics of materials. He is a recipient of the Timoshenko Medal...
. He was an Instructor and Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
from 1970 to 1975. He has been a Professor of Engineering at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
since 1975, and served as the Dean of the Engineering Department from 1988 to 1991. He was the chair of the Applied Mechanics Division
Applied Mechanics Division
The Applied Mechanics Division is a division in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers . The AMD was founded in 1927, with Stephen Timoshenko being the first chair. The current AMD membership is over 5000, out of about 90,000 members of the ASME...
.
Professor Needleman's main research interests are in the computational modeling of deformation and fracture
Fracture
A fracture is the separation of an object or material into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress.The word fracture is often applied to bones of living creatures , or to crystals or crystalline materials, such as gemstones or metal...
processes in structural materials, in particular metals. A general objective is to provide quantitative relations between the measurable (and hopefully controllable) features of the materials' micro-scale structure and its macroscopic mechanical behavior. Ongoing research projects involve studies of ductile fracture and ductile-brittle transitions; crack growth in heterogeneous microstructure
Microstructure
Microstructure is defined as the structure of a prepared surface or thin foil of material as revealed by a microscope above 25× magnification...
s with particular emphasis on the role of interface
Interface (chemistry)
An interface is a surface forming a common boundary among two different phases, such as an insoluble solid and a liquid, two immiscible liquids or a liquid and an insoluble gas. The importance of the interface depends on which type of system is being treated: the bigger the quotient area/volume,...
s; nonlocal and discrete dislocation plasticity; fatigue crack growth; and fast fracture
Fast fracture
In structural engineering and material science, fast fracture is a term given to a phenomenon in which a flaw in a material expands quickly, and leads to catastrophic failure of the material. Stress acting on a material when fast fracture occurs is less than the material's yield stress...
in brittle
Brittle
A material is brittle if, when subjected to stress, it breaks without significant deformation . Brittle materials absorb relatively little energy prior to fracture, even those of high strength. Breaking is often accompanied by a snapping sound. Brittle materials include most ceramics and glasses ...
solids.
Professor Needleman is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
, a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
, a Fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics, an Honorary Member of MECAMAT (Groupe Français de Mecanique des Matériaux) and a Foreign Member of the Danish Center for Applied Mathematics and Mechanics. He has been recognized by Institute for Scientific Information
Institute for Scientific Information
The Institute for Scientific Information was founded by Eugene Garfield in 1960. It was acquired by Thomson Scientific & Healthcare in 1992, became known as Thomson ISI and now is part of the Healthcare & Science business of the multi-billion dollar Thomson Reuters Corporation.ISI offered...
(ISI) Science Citation Index as a highly cited author both in Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and in Materials Science
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
. In 1994, his work on 3D modeling of metallic fracture was a finalist in the Science Category for the Computerworld-Smithsonian Award. In 2006 he was the recipient of both the William Prager
William Prager
William Prager was a German-born US applied mathematician.He was a lecturer at Darmstadt, a deputy director at University of Göttingen, professor at Karlsruhe, University of Istanbul, the University of California, San Diego and Brown University, where he advised Bernard Budiansky.The Society of...
Medal and the Drucker Medal
Drucker Medal
The Daniel C. Drucker medal was instituted in 1997 by the Applied Mechanics Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The Drucker Medal is conferred in recognition of distinguished contributions to the fields of applied mechanics and mechanical engineering.The award is given in...
and received an Honorary Doctorate from Technical University of Denmark
Technical University of Denmark
The Technical University of Denmark , often simply referred to as DTU, is a university just north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in 1829 at the initiative of Hans Christian Ørsted as Denmark's first polytechnic, and is today ranked among Europe's leading engineering institutions, and the...
(DTU).
List of publications
Some of his most highly cited publications (taken from http://portal.isiknowledge.com/portal.cgi?DestApp=WOS&DestParams=%3F%26CustomersID%3Disi_hcr%26CustomersIP%3D128.148.123.1%26Func%3DLinks%26ImgLogo%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fimages.isiknowledge.com%252FImages%252FLinks%252FWOK3%252Fwos_ret_hcr.gif%26PointOfEntry%3DFullRecord%26Promo%2BCode%3Dhcr%26PublisherID%3Disi_hcr%26ReturnLink%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fhcr3.isiknowledge.com%252FformViewCharacteristic.cgi%253Ftable%253DPublication%2526link1%253DSearch%2526link2%253DSearch%252520Results%2526link3%253DBiography%2526id%253D5%26ServiceName%3DTransferToWos%26ServiceUser%3DLinks%26SrcDesc%3DReturn%2520to%2520ISIHighlyCited.com%26UT%3D000166384800006&DestFail=http%3A%2F%2Fisihighlycited.com%2Fisi_copy%2Finfo_links.htm&Init=Yes&SID=E1DPI4kCDN5m1nJkld4ISI Web of Knowledge]) include:
- Needleman, A. and J. R. Rice (1980). "Plastic Creep Flow Effects In The Diffusive Cavitation Of Grain-Boundaries." Acta Metallurgica 28(10): 1315-1332.
- Christman, T., A. Needleman, et al. (1989). "An Experimental And Numerical Study Of Deformation In Metal Ceramic Composites." Acta Metallurgica 37(11): 3029-3050.
- Asaro, R. J. and A. Needleman (1985). "Overview.42. Texture Development And Strain-Hardening In Rate Dependent Polycrystals." Acta Metallurgica 33(6): 923-953.
- Peirce, D., R. J. Asaro, Needleman, A. (1983). "Material Rate Dependence And Localized Deformation In Crystalline Solids." Acta Metallurgica 31(12): 1951-1976.
- Pierce, D., C. F. Shih, Needleman, A. (1984). "A Tangent Modulus Method For Rate Dependent Solids." Computers & Structures 18(5): 875-887.
- Xu, X. P. and A. Needleman (1994). "Numerical Simulations Of Fast Crack-Growth In Brittle Solids." Journal Of The Mechanics And Physics Of Solids 42(9): 1397-&.
- Needleman, A. (1987). "A Continuum Model For Void Nucleation By Inclusion Debonding." Journal Of Applied Mechanics-Transactions of the ASME 54(3): 525-531.
- Chu, C. C. and A. Needleman (1980). "Void Nucleation Effects In Biaxially Stretched Sheets." Journal Of Engineering Materials And Technology-Transactions of the ASME 102(3): 249-256.
- Needleman, A. and V. Tvergaard (1987). "An Analysis Of Ductile Rupture Modes At A Crack Tip." Journal Of The Mechanics And Physics Of Solids 35(2): 151-183.
- Vandergiessen, E. and A. Needleman (1995). "Discrete Dislocation Plasticity - A Simple Planar Model." Modelling And Simulation In Materials Science And Engineering 3(5): 689-735.
Professor Needleman often collaborates with Viggo Tvergaard, John Hutchinson
John W. Hutchinson
John W. Hutchinson is a renowned scholar in the field of applied mechanics, and has made seminal contributions to the mechanics of structures and mechanics of materials. He is a recipient of the Timoshenko Medal...
, Subra Suresh
Subra Suresh
Subra Suresh is the Director of National Science Foundation and former Dean of Engineering and the Vannevar Bush Professor of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
, and Eric Van der Giessen among others in both materials science
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
and mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
.