Funded PhD positions in experimental mechanics at UT-Austin

Position Description

The Yang Research Group (PI: Dr. Jin Yang) in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (ASE/EM) at the University of Texas at Austin has two funded Ph.D. positions in experimental solid mechanics starting in Spring 2023 (apply before Oct/01/22) or Fall 2023 (apply before Dec/01/22).

Qualifications

I) A bachelor’s or a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, engineering mechanics, materials science, bioengineering, or related fields is preferred.

II) Candidates with experience in the following areas will be given priority: (i) solid mechanics; (ii) experimental mechanics; (iii) soft materials; (iv) optical microscopy; (v) laser experiments.

Application Instructions

Please visit https://gradschool.utexas.edu/how-to-apply to start your application. Interested candidates are also encouraged to send an email with the title “[Prospective Ph.D. student]” to contact Dr. Jin Yang at jin.yang@austin.utexas.edu. Please provide a brief description of your research background, future interests, and career goals. Please provide your unofficial transcript and CV with 2-3 reference contacts.

About UT-Austin ASE/EM 

UT-Austin is the flagship school of the University of Texas System. Austin metropolitan area has the nickname “Silicon Hills” for being the cluster of high-tech companies, including AMD, Amazon, Apple, Cisco, Facebook (Meta), Google, IBM, Intel, NXP Semiconductors, Texas Instruments, Tesla, and many others.

#6 best engineering graduate program in the U.S. (U.S. News & World Report, 2023)

#8 best graduate aerospace engineering in the U.S. (U.S. News & World Report, 2022)

#38 among all universities in the U.S. (U.S. News & World Report, 2022)

About Yang Research Group 

Dr. Jin Yang will join UT-Austin ASE/EM as a tenure track assistant professor in Fall 2022. He earned his Ph.D. degree at Caltech (2019) majoring in solid mechanics under the supervision of Prof. Kaushik Bhattacharya and got his bachelor’s degree at Tsinghua University (Tsien Hsue-Shen Elite Program with honor degree, 2013). He worked with Prof. Christian Franck at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a postdoc research associate before he joins UT-Austin.

The missions of Yang Research Group include developing analytical tools and experimental techniques (laser-induced inertial cavitation in soft matter; advanced 2D & 3D full-field DIC/DVC measurement techniques + machine learning/data-driven methods) to study viscoelastic materials behavior, dynamic instabilities, and material failure under extreme loading conditions. More information can be found here: https://sites.utexas.edu/yang