Matthew R. Begley

Matthew R. Begley is a Professor in both the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), within the College of Engineering. His research focuses on simulating materials with evolving microstructure and damage, including thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), environmental barrier coatings (EBCs), and ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). He pioneers field-assisted materials assembly and 3D printing of colloids and composites, alongside developing lattice materials via additive manufacturing for applications like viscoelastic elastomers and bone implants.

Education: Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UCSB. Awards: Fraunhofer-Bessel Award from the Humboldt Foundation. His research group includes students Virginia Collier, Connie Dong, Drew Melchert, Sara Messina, Stephen Sehr, and Eric Clough. Research themes span explicit discrete element simulations, bio-inspired hierarchical materials, and acoustic particle assembly. He leads projects on processing-structure-property relationships in architected materials and unsteady flow interactions with solid-fluid systems.