Abstract:

This presentation will describe MIT's SMART programme. The goals and mission of the programme, a description of some of the on-going research, and a description of opportunities for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers will be described.

Bio-sketch: Rohan Abeyaratne
April 2009

Rohan Abeyaratne is the Quentin Berg Professor of Mechanics at MIT and the Director of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) - a major new research centre established by MIT and the National Research Foundation of Singapore.

Prior to this, Professor Abeyaratne was the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT from 2001-2008 and its Associate Department Head from 1996-2001. He has held visiting faculty positions at the California Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, and the University of Minnesota.

Professor Abeyaratne’s research interest is in the field of theoretical mechanics where he is particularly known for his work on the dynamics of phase transitions. He has published extensively, including two books, the “Evolution of Phase Transitions” and “The Mechanics of Elastic Solids: Volume 1”. Professor Abeyaratne is a Fellow of ASME and a Fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics. He has served on the editorial boards of four international journals, is a member of the scientific advisory boards for many universities, including the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, as well as being the Chair of the Dean’s advisory committee for Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Furthermore, he recently completed serving a two-year term as President of the American Academy of Mechanics.

Professor Abeyaratne holds a MacVicar Fellowship, MIT’s highest award for education. As Department Head he instituted a major educational initiative on innovative new methods of teaching and learning.
Professor Abeyaratne received his Ph.D (1979) from the California Institute of Technology.