Dayakar Penumadu

Dayakar Penumadu is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT), where he has been a faculty member since 2001. He holds the Fred N. Peebles Professorship and the Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (IAMM) Chair of Excellence, a joint position with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He served as Department Head from 2007 to 2014.

His research spans multiple domains in civil and materials engineering. Key areas include:

• Carbon fiber reinforced polymeric composites and sandwich structures
• Environmental degradation and multi-scale mechanics
• Non-invasive characterization using neutron and X-ray tomography and diffraction
• Mechanics of multi-phase and granular materials
• Direct Numerical Simulations in porous media

His recent publications reveal a strong focus on advanced characterization techniques such as neutron diffraction and X-ray tomography applied to composites, metals, and granular materials. Themes include structural health monitoring, fire damage effects, composite manufacturing, and micromechanical modeling. He frequently collaborates with national labs and industry partners.

Notable scientific recognitions include:

• Fred N. Peebles Professorship
• Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (IAMM) Chair of Excellence

Penumadu has secured research funding from major agencies including the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Department of Energy, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, General Motors, Entergy Corporation, National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation. He has advised numerous students and leads a vibrant research group focused on next-generation materials and structural systems. He is actively involved in experimental and computational research with applications in transportation, energy, and defense sectors.