Naresh N. Thadhani

Naresh N. Thadhani is a Professor and Chair of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech, with an adjunct role in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. His research focuses on shock-induced material changes, high-strain-rate mechanics, and dynamic compaction of powders. He leads a lab equipped with advanced facilities like gas guns and laser-accelerated systems for studying impacts up to 1200 m/s.

Education: Ph.D., New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (1984); M.S., South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (1981); B.E., University of Rajasthan, India (1980).

Research interests include shock compression of metals/ceramics, phase transformations in metallic glasses, and structural energetic materials. His work combines experimental diagnostics (e.g., VISAR, photonic Doppler velocimetry) with computational modeling (CTH/ALE3D codes).

Key awards: APS Fellow (2007), ASM International Fellow (2000). Editorial roles include Associate Editor of Shock Waves and Key Reader for Metallurgical and Materials Transactions.

Lab & Group: A team of 1 postdoctoral fellow, 11 PhD students, and 3 undergraduates. Over 30 graduates to date. Active in advisory roles for national/international conferences and industrial consultancies.

Future work emphasizes nanocomposite magnets and meso-scale modeling of heterogeneous materials under shock.