Richard D James
Russell J. Penrose Professor and Distinguished McKnight University Professor

Richard James' main area of research is phase transformations in materials - especially shape memory and magnetostrictive materials - at large and small scales. This involves the development of mathematical methods for the analysis of materials at atomic and continuum scales, especially the development of weak convergence methods for understanding the relation between the behavior of materials on different scales. He is currently applying these ideas to the search for interesting materials in several areas:

The search for new materials that combine two of the three properties: ferromagnetism, ferroelectricity, shape-memory.
The search for new transforming materials with exceptionally low hysteresis.
The prediction of properties of transforming materials and structures at very small scales. Part of this research involves the study of a remarkable phase transformation that occurs in the tail sheath of bacteriophage T4, a virus that attacks bacteria.
The search for new nanostructures based on the concept of "objective structures". These are molecular structures composed of identical molecules such that corresponding molecules "see" the same environment up to orthogonal transformation. These structures have an intriguing relation to the common structures, whether crystalline of not, of most elements in the periodic table, and they are occur often also in biology, especially in viruses. They are also the natural structures to exhibit unusual properties like ferromagnetism, ferroelectricity, and other collective properties, and are especially amenable to methods of synthesis by the process of self-assembly. We are investigating all these aspects of objective structures.

Degrees

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 1979.
Sc.B., Engineering, Brown University, 1974.

Experience

2002-Present: Russell J. Penrose Professor Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota
1998-Present: Distinguished McKnight University Professor
Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota
1991-Present: Professor Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota
1985-1991: Associate Professor Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota 1981-1985: Assistant Professor Division of Engineering, Brown University
1979-1980: Research Fellow in Mechanics and Thermodynamics University of Minnesota

Five Recent Publications

D.-B. Zhang, R. D. James, and T. Dumitrica, 2009, Dislocation onset and nearly axial glide in carbon nanotubes under torsion, J. Chem. Phys, 130 (2009), 071101, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
Kaushik Dayal, Richard D. James, 2009, Non-equilibrium Molecular Dynamics for the Viscometric Characterization of Bulk Materials and Nanostructures, J. Mech. Phys. Solids, , (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
Yaniv Ganor, Doron Shilo, Thomas W. Shield and Richard D. James, 2008, Breaching the work output of ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, Applied Physics Letters, 93, 122509, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
Traian Dumritica and Richard D. James, 2007, Objective molecular dynamics, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 55 (2007) 2206–2236, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
Liping Liu, R. D. James, and P. H. Leo, 2007, New extremal inclusions and their application to two-phase composites, Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis, , (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF

See more publications

Honors and Fellowships

2008: William Prager Medal, Society of Engineering Science,: Background
Warner T. Koiter Medal, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME): Background;
Co-advisor (with P. H. Leo) to Liping Liu, winner of the Best Dissertation Award in the Physical Sciences and Engineering (2008) at the University of Minnesota: Background
2007: Honorary Consultant Professorship, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,: Background
2006: Alexander von Humboldt Senior Research Award,: Background;
John von Neumann Professorship, TU Munich,: Background
2002: Mary Shepard B. Upson Visiting Chair, Cornell University College of Engineering 1999: Rothschild Visiting Professor: Background
Cambridge University Best Paper award, ASME/SPIE Smart Materials
1998: Distinguished McKnight University Professor: Background
1997: Fellow, American Academy of Mechanics
Featured Review (in Mathematical Reviews): Background
1993: Member, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, Term I,: Background
1991: George Taylor Distinguished Research Award; Background
Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota: Background
1976-1978: IBM Fellow, the Johns Hopkins University: Background

Editorial Positions

1999-Present: Chief Editor with J.M. Ball,: Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis
1998-Present: Editorial board,: Interfaces and Free Boundaries
1997-Present: Editorial Advisor,: Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids
1996-Present: Editorial Board,: Journal of Elasticity
1991-1998: Editorial Board,: Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis
1989-Present: Editorial board,: Journal of Intelligent Materials and Structures,; Technomic Publishing (begun January 1989, relaunched January 1993)
1988-Present: Editorial Board,: Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics,Springer-Verlag

Subjects and Courses Taught

Undergraduate: AEM 4581 -- Mechanics of Solids; AEM 4602W -- Aeromechanics Laboratory
Graduate: AEM 5503 -- Theory of Elasticity; AEM 8500 -- Research Seminar in Mechanics of Materials; AEM 8541 -- Mechanics of Crystalline Solids; AEM 8551 -- Multiscale Methods for Bridging Length and Time Scales; AEM 8595 -- Selected Topics in Mechanics and Materials

Curriculum Vitae

Brief Biographical Sketch

Last Modified: 2008-09-19 at 13:49:30 -- this is in International Standard Date and Time Notation

Richard D James Russell J. Penrose Professor and Distinguished McKnight University Professor