Pradeep R. Guduru

Pradeep R. Guduru is a Professor of Engineering at Brown University's School of Engineering, specializing in experimental solid mechanics. He has been with Brown University since 2002, starting as an Assistant Professor, becoming Associate Professor in 2008, and achieving full Professor status in 2014. He previously held visiting professor appointments at UC Berkeley (2008-09) and Stanford University (2015-16).

Professor Guduru received his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sri Venkateswara University, India, and Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science. He earned his Ph.D. in Aeronautics (with a minor in Materials Science) from California Institute of Technology in 2001, working under Professor Ares Rosakis.

His research focuses on the intersection of mechanics with other disciplines, particularly on (i) mechanics of adhesion and friction in soft materials, (ii) coupled problems at the interface between mechanics and chemistry, (iii) dynamic behavior of heterogeneous materials, and (iv) mechanics of small scale structures. His work on coupled mechanics-chemistry problems has significant applications in electrochemical energy storage materials (particularly lithium-ion battery materials), heterogeneous catalysis in energy conversion systems, and energetic materials. His lab's approach combines controlled experiments on specimens of simple geometries with analytical modeling to capture essential mechanics and physics of phenomena under consideration.

Analysis of Professor Guduru's recent publications reveals a strong focus on energy storage materials, particularly lithium-ion battery technologies. His work combines experimental approaches with theoretical modeling to understand the mechanical behavior of battery components during electrochemical cycling. A significant portion of his recent research investigates the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), silicon anodes, and the coupled electro-chemo-mechanical phenomena in battery materials. He has also maintained research in dynamic failure mechanisms and shear banding in various materials.

Professor Guduru has received numerous prestigious awards including:

• James R. Rice medal of the Society of Engineering Science (2020)
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2007
• National Science Foundation CAREER award in 2006
• William F. Ballhaus prize for outstanding doctoral dissertation in Aeronautics from Caltech (2001)

He has served as principal investigator on numerous multi-disciplinary research teams funded by agencies including the Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and Army Research Office (ARO). His lab has developed innovative experimental techniques and scientific instrumentation for studying coupled phenomena in materials. He has held editorial positions on the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids and Acta Mechanica Sinica, and served on the Executive Committee of the Applied Mechanics Division of ASME.

Professor Guduru directs the Experimental Solid Mechanics Laboratory at Brown University, with lab spaces located at 634 Barus and Holley, 109 Prince Laboratory, and 113 Prince Laboratory. His lab is equipped with advanced facilities including a combined electrochemical and mechanical testing facility, multi-beam optical sensors, coherent gradient sensors, Hysitron Triboindenter, atomic force microscopes, and various microscopy and testing equipment. The lab's approach to experimental mechanics has been two-fold: (a) to devise experiments to discover and reveal new insights into coupled phenomena in materials systems of technological importance and (b) to develop new scientific instrumentation that can extend the envelope of spatial and temporal resolutions simultaneously to reveal mechanisms of deformation and localization in heterogeneous materials.