Darren Pagan

Darren Pagan is an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Pennsylvania State University and holds the Norris B. McFarlane Faculty Career Development Professorship. He is also an Associate of the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) and affiliated with the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program (IGDP) in Materials Science and Engineering, which emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration across Penn State.

• Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell and Columbia Universities
• Former postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• Former staff scientist at Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS)

Pagan's research focuses on quantifying material deformation through X-ray scattering techniques, mechanical modeling, and machine learning. He develops novel in-situ and in-operando characterization methods to study microstructure evolution in metallic alloys and ceramics under dynamic conditions.

Recent research trends include dwell fatigue in Ti alloys, slip transfer mechanisms, multiscale fracture modeling, and machine learning for additive manufacturing. His work combines X-ray diffraction, finite element simulations, and fractional-calculus frameworks to advance materials design.

Scientific Awards

• 2024 TMS-AIME Robert Lansing Hardy Award
• 2024 TMS-AIME Champion H. Mathewson Award
• 2020 AFOSR Young Investigator Award

Pagan's collaborations span multiple institutions, including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source. He has contributed to beamline development projects (Structural Materials Beamline and FAST beamline) and leads cross-disciplinary research efforts in the IGDP in Materials Science and Engineering.