Matthew Brake

Matthew Brake is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Rice University's George R. Brown School of Engineering, where he has been a faculty member since 2016. He leads the Tribomechadynamics Lab, which focuses on the confluence of structural dynamics, contact mechanics, and tribology to predict the response of assembled structures during the design stage and optimize interfacial components.

Dr. Brake completed his entire academic training at Carnegie Mellon University, earning B.S. (2002), M.S. (2004), and Ph.D. (2007) degrees in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to joining Rice, he worked for nine years at Sandia National Laboratories.

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2007
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2004
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2002

His research spans multiple disciplines within mechanical engineering, with a particular focus on understanding interfaces across length scales from nano to macro. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in aerospace, defense, and automotive industries, addressing constitutive modeling for impact dynamics, joint mechanics, and the application of additive manufacturing for system-level assemblies.

Dr. Brake has established himself as a leader in his field through significant contributions to nonlinear dynamics and joint mechanics, evident in his book 'The Mechanics of Jointed Structures' published by Springer and his founding of the Nonlinear Mechanics and Dynamics (NOMAD) Institute.

Scientific Awards and Honors

• Future Energy Leaders Program, CERAWeek (2020)
• Favorite Teacher Honor, Will Rice College, Rice University (2019)
• The 2018 C. D. Mote Jr., Early Career Award
• The 2012 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) (awarded in 2014)
• ASME Fellow (2019)

As a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers since 2019, Dr. Brake has held several leadership positions including Executive Director of the ASME Research Committee on Mechanics of Jointed Structures, Vice Chair of the SEM Technical Division for Nonlinear Structures and Systems, and Vice Paper Solicitation Chair for the STLE Contact Mechanics Committee. He has also been a visiting academic at the University of Oxford and taught as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico.

His Tribomechadynamics Lab hosts both graduate and undergraduate researchers as well as the Nonlinear Dynamics of Coupled Structures and Interfaces (ND-CSI) Summer Research Program, fostering the next generation of mechanical engineers and researchers in this specialized field.