James K. Guest

James K. Guest is a Professor and head of the Department of Civil and Systems Engineering at Johns Hopkins University's Whiting School of Engineering. With a secondary appointment in Materials Science and Engineering, he specializes in computational design and optimization.

• Primary: Civil and Systems Engineering
• Secondary: Materials Science and Engineering

His research focuses on topology optimization for advanced manufacturing, creating architected materials with applications in aerospace, biomedical engineering, and infrastructure. Key areas include uncertainty quantification, multi-material systems, and additive manufacturing constraints.

Notable awards include:

• ASCE Walter L. Huber Research Prize
• EMI Leonardo da Vinci Award
• Inaugural ISSMO Fellow (2025)
• ASCE EMI Fellow

His team has developed technologies for NASA space applications and contributed to pandemic response through 3D-printed medical devices. Students like Josephine Carstensen (now MIT Assistant Professor), Julia Carroll, Alberto Torres, and Justin Unger have been integral to projects involving lattice structures, ventilator splitters, and composite design.