Ryan Wagner

Ryan Wagner is a Research Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University. He holds a B.S. (2008) and Ph.D. (2014) in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, with a minor in Physics. His research focuses on nanotechnology, microscopy, metrology, and dynamics, with applications in optomechanics and micro/nanotechnology. He has held postdoctoral positions at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Asylum Research, specializing in atomic force microscopy (AFM) instrumentation and optomechanical force standards.

Education:

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University (2008)
• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University (2014), Thesis: Advanced AFM Techniques for Cellulosic Nanomaterials

Research Interests:

• Nanomechanics and optomechanics
• AFM-based material characterization
• Development of force/mass standards using optical cavities
• Biomedical applications of nanotechnology

Articles Trends: Recent work emphasizes optomechanical systems, precision measurements in AFM, and interdisciplinary applications in biomedicine and materials science. Publications span Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Optics Express.

Awards:

• National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014)
• Office of Naval Research Summer Faculty Fellowship (2021)
• Charles C. Chappelle Fellowship (2009)

Advising/Grants: Active in mentoring graduate students and securing grants for interdisciplinary projects. His lab focuses on applying vibration dynamics to multiphysics problems in collaboration with industry and national labs.

Labs/Teams: Leads research in optomechanical force standards and AFM instrumentation development at Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering.