Sunil Kishore Chakrapani

Dr. Sunil Kishore Chakrapani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan State University (MSU), with a joint appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Iowa State University and has over a decade of experience in Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE), working at institutions like the Center for NDE and Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Education:

• B.E., Mechanical Engineering, Anna University, Chennai, India
• M.S., Engineering Mechanics, Iowa State University
• Ph.D., Engineering Mechanics, Iowa State University

Research Interests:

• Nonlinear ultrasonics and vibrations
• Nondestructive material characterization (e.g., composites, additively manufactured materials)
• Ultrasonic sensor development (air-coupled systems, structural health monitoring)
• Finite element modeling for composites and wave propagation
• Acoustic nonlinearity parameter inversion and dislocation dynamics

Recent Article Trends: Focus on advanced NDE techniques for additive manufacturing (e.g., laser deposition of Inconel/IN718), microstructural variability analysis in steels (P91), and hybrid sensor systems for infrastructure monitoring. Key methodologies include nonlinear ultrasonics, coda wave analysis, and machine learning-augmented defect characterization.

Awards:

• Research Excellence Award from Iowa State University (2014)

Advising & Grants: Leads research projects in NDE-driven design and composite materials. Active in developing NDE standards for aerospace and energy infrastructure components. Collaborates with industry partners on sensor development and failure analysis.

Labs/Teams: Oversees research groups focused on nonlinear ultrasonics and additive manufacturing NDE within MSU’s College of Engineering.