Hamouda Ghonem

Hamouda Ghonem is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Rhode Island. He established the Mechanics of Materials Research Laboratory (MMRL) in 1981, focusing on experimental and computational studies of deformation and damage in advanced engineering materials under extreme conditions.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, McGill University (1978)
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, McGill University (1976)
  • B.Sc., Nuclear Engineering, University of Alexandria (1969)

Research Interests span high-temperature deformation of metallic alloys, creep-fatigue-environment interactions, dislocation-precipitate interactions, grain boundary mechanics, and ultrafine grain manufacturing. His work quantifies microstructural effects on material failure and develops predictive models for damage evolution in aerospace and nuclear materials.

Scientific Awards include:

• Fellow of ASME
• Sabbatical appointments at European universities and aerospace research centers

Laboratory Facilities at MMRL include:

• MTS servohydraulic testing machines
• Creep and high-strain rate (Split Hopkinson Bar, gas gun) systems
• Computational modeling with Abaqus, MATLAB, and in-house codes
• Microstructural analysis via SEM and optical microscopy
• Vacuum and high-temperature (-196°C to 1200°C) testing environments