Institute for Social Science Research

The goal of this CAREER proposal is to systematically analyze experimental micromechanical data in order to formulate, implement, and validate a predictive phenomenological model governing deformation twin nucleation and growth at the grain scale, closing a gap that currently exists in crystal plasticity modeling of polycrystalline materials. Insights gained through this work will be integrated in undergraduate and graduate coursework, where students will be trained in the theory of advanced material behavior and state-of-the-art methods in computational materials engineering. Similarly, all software developed in this study will be distributed open-source, and free hybrid-enrollment workshops (i.e., in-person and online attendance) targeting both academic and industrial users will help train software operation and underlying theory. Research-driven courses and software workshops will contribute to the development of a workforce with a technical understanding of state-of-the-art computational techniques, ensuring their wide adoption.