Lallit Anand

Lallit Anand is the Warren and Towneley Rohsenow Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he has been a faculty member since 1982. He serves in the Department of Mechanical Engineering within MIT's School of Engineering.

Professor Anand earned his B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 1970, followed by his M.S. (1972) and Ph.D. (1975) from Brown University. Prior to joining MIT, he worked as a research scientist at the United States Steel Corporation's Mechanical Sciences Division.

Anand's research spans multiple areas of solid mechanics, with particular focus on:

• Mechanics of Materials and Solid Mechanics
• Plasticity theory, including crystal-mechanics based large-deformation plasticity
• Strain-gradient plasticity and coupled diffusion-deformation-damage theories
• Gel mechanics and applications to Li-ion batteries
• Hydrogen embrittlement in steels and other material failure mechanisms

His recent publications demonstrate a continued focus on advanced mechanics theories applied to cutting-edge materials including hydrogels, polymers, and battery materials. Professor Anand's work bridges theoretical development with practical applications in engineering design and analysis.

Among his numerous honors are:

• Daniel C. Drucker Medal (2014) from ASME
• William Prager Medal (2018) from the Society of Engineering Science
• Election to the National Academy of Engineering (2018)
• J. P. Den Hartog Distinguished Educator Award (2017)
• Khan International Medal (2007)

Professor Anand has served in various leadership roles including as Head of the Area for Mechanics: Modeling, Experimentation, and Computation (2008-2013) and as Program Director for the Mechanics and Materials Program at the National Science Foundation (1989-1991). He has mentored over 25 Ph.D. students throughout his career at MIT.

His research group maintains strong connections with industry and other academic institutions, with collaborations spanning multiple continents. Professor Anand's theoretical frameworks have been implemented in finite-element-based computer programs widely used for structural and materials-processing design in engineering applications.