PhD opening at the Pennsylvania State University in porous media physics

The Mehmani Research Group has one opening for a fully funded PhD student starting January 2022 in the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (www.eme.psu.edu) at Penn State University. The successful candidate will conduct research on computational modeling of solid mechanics in porous materials at the micron scale.

The lab focuses on the fundamental physics of flow and deformation in porous media. Our goal is to bridge the controlling mechanisms rooted at the microscale to the emergent behaviors observed at the macroscale. A core part of our activities is directed towards devising non-classical algorithms and experimental imaging techniques that probe microscale processes and translate useful insights into Darcy-scale information. Our interests are driven by applications of porous media in energy and the environment. They include subsurface technologies such as CO2 storage, geothermal energy, natural gas, and groundwater remediation, as well as manufactured devices such as fuel cells and batteries. Students will have the opportunity to contribute to questions of global and societal import. Find more information at Mehmani Research Group (www.mehmaniresearchgroup.com).

A candidate with a strong background in one or more areas of computational physics (preferably solid mechanics), applied mathematics, numerical methods, programming, image analysis, and machine learning is sought. A master’s degree is a plus but not a requirement. The student will develop new algorithms for modeling deformation and failure of porous materials and collaborate closely with experimentalists to identify knowledge gaps and contribute to theory. The student will also engage in applying and designing new machine learning algorithms in the context of high-performance computing.

To apply, please contact Yashar Mehmani via email (yzm5192@psu.edu) to discuss the research project. Attach the following to your email: unofficial transcripts, curriculum vitae, names and contacts of three references, and a brief personal statement that describes the candidate’s motivation for joining the group and how they see their background fit the above research description. Applicants must meet the minimum admission requirements (https://www.eme.psu.edu/graduate/graduate-admissions-and-aid/how-apply-graduate-programs) set by the Graduate School and the EME department. The application deadline to be considered for the Spring 2022 semester is September 15, 2021. Candidates should contact Dr. Mehmani by September 1 to leave ample time for gathering the necessary documents for graduate application.

Yashar Mehmani is an assistant professor in the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (EME) at the Pennsylvania State University (https://www.eme.psu.edu/directory/yashar-mehmani). He is also a co-funded faculty in the Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE) (https://iee.psu.edu/people/cofunded-faculty). His research interests are broadly related to porous media flow and mechanics with a special focus on computing and scale translation. He received a BSc from Sharif University of Technology, Iran, followed by a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. He was then a postdoctoral fellow and later a research scientist at the Energy Resources Engineering Department at Stanford University.