Multiple PhD Open Positions in Polymer Modeling and Machine Learning at University of Connecticut

PhD Open Positions

PhD positions with financial support in the form of research assistant/teaching assistant are available in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut (UConn).

This specific position is offered by the laboratory of Computational Materials Design in the department. GOAL of Research Lab: Multiscale and multiphysics modeling to computationally design advanced polymeric materials, with emphasis on energy absorption, sustainable energy solution and biomedical application, to provide scientific insights into their chemistry-structure-property-performance relationships. The research team will focus on the development of novel computational methods and apply these methods for extra-large scale simulations to access the experimentally unapproachable phenomena.

Required Qualifications:

§  A BS in Engineering Mechanics, Civil Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related area. MS with project experience and good publication is a plus.

§  Programming skills in MATLAB, Fortran, C/C++, or Python. Experience in parallel computing is a plus.

§  Experience in running molecular dynamics simulations and finite element analysis.

§  Broad knowledge of computational material science and polymer physics will be a plus.

§  Machine Learning experience would be a major plus

About UConn: UConn is ranked among top 20 public schools in United States. The University campus is located in a beautiful area of New England, with a moderate cost of living and proximity to major cultural, recreational and urban centers of the Northeast. The University community affords residents a rich diversity of cultural, athletic, artistic and historic experiences; affordable quality housing and top schools for students and their families.

PI’s info: Prof. Ying Li received his PhD from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University in 2015, where he was working with Professor Wing Kam Liu (former President of International Association of Computational Mechanics) on developing novel multiscale modeling methods for designing new materials and material systems, with an emphasize on soft materials and their biological responses. He joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, as an assistant professor in August 2015. He has first authored and co-authored over 80 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, such as Physical Review Letters, Biomaterials, Nanoscale, Macromolecules, Soft Matter, Polymer and Journal Mechanics and Physics of Solids, with more than 1900 citations (H-index 24). In the past few years, he has received numerous awards and scholarships, including IIN Outstanding Researcher Award, Ryan Fellowship and Predictive Science & Engineering Design Fellowship. He has been invited as reviewer for more than 60 international journals, such as Nature Communications, ACS Nano, Advanced Functional Materials, Carbon, Macromolecules, Journal of Physical Chemistry, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Nanoscale, Chemical Communications and Nanomedicine, and Journal Mechanics and Physics of Solids.

Prof. Li’s full publication list can be accessed at: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FgYIdZwAAAAJ&hl=en

Interested candidates should send a CV, transcripts, TOEFL/GRE scores and the contact information of at least three professional references to Dr. Ying Li at ying.3.li@uconn.edu.