Prof. Huajian Gao

Brief Biography

Huajian Gao received his B.S. degree from Xian Jiaotong University of China in 1982, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Engineering Science from Harvard University in 1984 and 1988, respectively. He served on the faculty of Stanford University between 1988 and 2002, and as Professor and Director at the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Germany between 2001 and 2006. He is now Walter H. Annenberg University Professor of Brown University.

Professor Gao has a background in engineering science and applied mechanics. His current research interests are focused on nanomechanics of engineering and biological systems, including mechanical properties and behaviors of bone, gecko, cell, protein, DNA, carbon nanotubes, thin films and nanocrystalline materials. He has more than 25 years of research experience with more than 300 publications.

Professional Affiliations

Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Fellow, Institute of Physics.

Life Member, American Geophysical Union.

Member, Materials Research Society.

Member, Biophysical Society.

Member, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.

Awards & Honors

Lee Hsun Lecture Award, Institute of Metals Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2012.

Founding co-Director, Center for Advanced Mechanics and Materials, Tsinghua University, 2012.

Inaugural Simpson Faculty Fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2012.

Distinguished Visiting Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, 2012.

Timoshenko Distinguished Visitor, Mechanics and Computation Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2012.

Engineering Distinguished Lecture, The University of Hong Kong, 2012.

Institute of Advanced Study Distinguished Lecture, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2012.

Elected to National Academy of Engineering of USA, 2012.

Rodney Hill Prize in Solid Mechanics, International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, 2012.

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Prize (Humboldt-Forschungspreis), Federal Republic of Germany, 2012.

Honorary Professorship, Shanghai University, 2011.

ASME Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineering, 2011.

Stanford S. and Beverley P. Penner Distinguished Lecture in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 2011.

Y.C. Fung Lecture, California Institute of Technology, 2011.

Highly Commended Article, The James Clerk Maxwell Young Writers Prize, Journal of Philosophical Magazine, 2010 (with T.K. Bhandakkar, E. Chason).

Honorary Professorship, Xian Jiaotong University, 2009.

William Mong Distinguished Lectures, The University of Hong Kong, 2009.

ASME Robert Henry Thurston Lecture Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineering, 2009.

Distinguished scholars and artists Advisor, John S. Guggenheim Foundation, 2008-2011.

Visiting Investigator Programme (VIP) Award, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 2007-2012.

The Jerzy Nowinski Lecture, University of Delaware, 2007.

Distinguished Scholar Lecture, Arizona State University, 2007.

Co-editor-in-Chief of Journal of Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 2006.

Midwestern Mechanics Lecturer, 2005-2006.

Wissenschaftspreis des Stifterverbands (Research innovation award; team leader is Prof. Eduard Arzt), Max Planck Society, 2005.

Elected Board of Directors, Society of Engineering Science, 2005.

Young Investigator Award, Society of Engineering Science, 2005.

Elected Fellow, The Institute of Physics, 2004.

George Wallace Melville Medal, American Society of Mechanical Engineering, 2004.

Elected Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineering, 2003.

Oversea Director, Shenyang Center for Interfacial Materials, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2003.

Scientific Member (Director), Max Planck Society, 2001-2006.

Outstanding Young Investigator Award, National Science Foundation of China, 2000.

Chang Jiang Chair Professorship Award, Chinese Ministry of Education, 2000.

Special Achievement Award for Young Investigators in Applied Mechanics, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1999.

Humboldt Fellowship Award, 1997.

Alcoa Science Award, 1996.

Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship Award, 1995.

NSF Young Investigator Award, 1993-1998.

IBM Faculty Development Award, 1992-1993.

NSF Research Initiation Award, 1990-1992.

IBM Research Initiation Award, 1990.

Schlumberger Fellowship Award, 1988.

Harvard University Graduate Fellowship Award, 1984.

Xian Jiaotong University, "SAN HAO XUE SHENG" medal, 1979-1982.

Xian Jiaotong University Fellowship Award, 1978-1982.

Editorial Activities

Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids

Advisory Board, Computational Materials Science and Engineering, 2012-

Advisory Board, Acta Mechanica Sinica, 2011-

Editor-in-Chief, Acta Mechanica Sinica, 2001-2011

Editor, International Journal of Applied Mechanics, 2009-

Regional Editor, International Journal of Fracture, 2004-

Acting Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Solids and Structures, 1997

Chief Editor, Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics, 2004-2006

Invited Editor, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, 2008

Associate Editor, Communications in Computational Physics, 2006-2007

Associate Editor, Journal of Applied Mechanics, 2000-2006

Editorial Board, International Journal of Solids and Structures, 2005-2011

Editorial Board, Journal of Computational & Theoretical Nanoscience, 2004-

Editorial Board, Journal of Nanoengineering and Nanosystems, 2004-

Editorial Board, Modeling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, 1998-

Editorial Board, Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Editorial Board, 2004-