Jens Wackerfuß

Jens Wackerfuß is a Full Professor of Structural Analysis and Executive Director of the Institute of Structural Mechanics at the University of Kassel, Germany, positions he has held since 2014. He also leads an Emmy Noether Junior Research Group at the university, demonstrating his significant research leadership.

His academic background includes a Dr.-Ing. (Civil Engineering) from Technical University Darmstadt in 2005 and a Dipl.-Ing. (Civil Engineering) from the same institution in 1997. His professional journey includes post-doctoral work at UC Berkeley (2007-2008) and leadership of an Emmy Noether Junior Research Group at Technical University Darmstadt (2010-2013).

Professor Wackerfuß's research spans computational mechanics with particular expertise in nonlinear finite element methods, advanced beam formulations, multiscale methods, and molecular mechanics. His work bridges theoretical developments with practical engineering applications, and he has developed the research code dockSIM for computational structural analysis. His teaching portfolio includes Structural Analysis I and II for Bachelor's students and Finite Element Methods, Material Models, and Multiscale Methods for Master's students.

His recent publications (2022-2024) reveal a strong focus on constraint handling in finite element analysis, graphene modeling, and innovative structural formulations. Key trends include efficient methods for nonlinear multi-point constraints, coupling different structural elements, and applying computational methods to nanoscale materials.

His scientific achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards:

• Emmy Noether Programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG) in 2010
• Zienkiewicz Medal and Prize in 2009, London (UK)
• Research fellowship of the German Research Foundation (DFG) at TU Darmstadt in 2008
• Research fellowship of the German Research Foundation (DFG) at UC Berkeley in 2007

Professor Wackerfuß supervises doctoral and master's students through his Research Colloquium for Thesis and Doctoral Students. His grant portfolio includes significant funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG), particularly through the Emmy Noether Programme which supports outstanding early-career researchers.

He leads the Institute of Structural Mechanics at the University of Kassel and maintains the research code dockSIM. His team focuses on developing advanced computational methods for structural analysis, with particular expertise in nonlinear systems, constraint handling, and multiscale modeling approaches that bridge molecular and continuum mechanics.