Yuan Named NC State Langley Professor at NIA
– from the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA)
Hampton, Va -North Carolina State University has named Dr. Fuh-Gwo Yuan as Samuel P. Langley Professor in the NCSU Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA), in Hampton, Va.
Professor Yuan is an internationally renowned expert in the field of structural health monitoring, fracture and life prediction of advanced materials and structures, smart materials and structures, and damage tolerance of composite structures. His research is leading to the development of advanced structural health monitoring systems that will fundamentally impact future design and maintenance of large and complex aerospace, mechanical, and civil structures. These systems will reduce maintenance costs and increase asset availability and extend remaining useful life of structures, such as aircraft and bridges, by providing accurate measurement and prediction of damage and degradation at early stages. This work is expected to have significant positive impact on public safety.
Dr. Yuan holds a Ph.D. (1986) and M.S. (1981) in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned a B.S. in Engineering Science at National Cheng-Kung University in Taiwan in 1977. Yuan is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Society for Composites (ASC).
Yuan brings more than two decades of experience collaborating with NASA Langley Research Center scientists and engineers to his new role as Langley Professor. His research has played a major role toward the advancement of structural health monitoring systems and the understanding of damage tolerance of composite materials and structures. His research interests also include wireless sensing, energy harvesting, micro-/nano-sensors, and distributed on-board signal processing, geared toward the diagnosis and prognosis of critical structures.
In 2008, Dr. Yuan spent six months at Oxford University in England as a visiting fellow where he explored insect and avian flight while working with the University’s world-renowned zoology department. He returned to craft a biologically-inspired senior design option for students at NC State.
Professor Yuan currently teaches courses at NC State including Aerospace Vehicle Design and Advanced Solid Mechanics. Under his leadership, student groups in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NC State have earned a record number of awards in regional student AIAA design competitions in the past three years. He has mentored numerous Masters and Ph.D. students that have gone on to pursue their own careers at NASA Langley.
“NC State mechanical and aerospace engineers are leading efforts to develop new sensor technology that ensures that our aircraft and infrastructure is safe and accessible,” said Dr. Richard Gould, head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NC State. “Dr. Yuan’s work with NIA provides a wonderful opportunity for our engineering students to collaborate with some of the world’s most accomplished engineers to address grand challenges facing our nation.”
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC is among the largest and most prominent in the nation with around 1200 undergraduate students and 375 graduate students. The department offers Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in both Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Aerospace Engineering (AE).
The Samuel P. Langley professorships were conceived and implemented by NIA’s member universities to serve as the foundation for its unique academic research program that directly supports NASA Langley Research Center. Today, there are Langley professorships at NIA representing North Carolina State University, Georgia Tech, North Carolina A&T State University, the University of Maryland, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech.
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For more about the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University, visit:
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