Olivier Pierron

Olivier Pierron is a Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology within the College of Engineering. His research focuses on the mechanics of small-scale materials, including thin films, nanoscale coatings, and microscale components, with an emphasis on fracture, fatigue, and environmental degradation mechanisms. He joined Georgia Tech in 2007 and has held positions at Qualcomm MEMS Technologies. His work integrates advanced experimental techniques such as in-situ TEM and SEM testing to study material behavior under extreme conditions.

Education: Ph.D. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University (2005 and 2002), and a Diplôme d’Ingénieur from MINES ParisTech (2000).

Research interests include nanomechanics, thin film mechanics, and the development of novel testing methodologies for micro- and nano-scale materials. His studies address reliability challenges in MEMS/NEMS and flexible electronics for energy, health, and security applications.

Key publications cover topics like radiation damage healing in nanocrystalline metals, environmental effects on crack propagation in thin films, and fatigue behavior of nickel microbeams. His work is funded by NSF, DOE, and NextFlex.

• Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2013), Hetenyi Award (2014), multiple teaching excellence awards.
• Advising: Mentored students including E. Hosseinian (Ph.D. 2017), B. Pant (M.S. 2011), and M. Budnitzki (M.S. 2009).
• Labs: Research conducted in Love Building (Room 227) and adjacent lab space (Room 301).