Research Chairs

• The Diane and Arthur Belfer Chair of Mechanics and Bio-Mechanics
  Incumbent: Prof. Leslie Banks-Sills
• The Nathan Cummings Chair of Mechanics
  Incumbent: Prof. Dvora Barnea
• The Bernhard and Gunter Lazarus Chair of Aerodynamic
  Incumbent: Prof. Touvia Miloh
• The Raquel and Manuel Klachky Chair in Subsurface Hydrology
  Incumbent: Prof. Isaac Goldhirsch
• Chair in Micromechanics of Composite Materials,
  Incumbent: Prof. Yakov Benveniste

The Diane and Arthur Belfer Chair of Mechanics and Bio-Mechanics

The Chair supports research and related activities in the areas of fracture mechanics, composite materials, solids and structures, as well as certain areas of bio-mechanics. Present research includes computational methods in fracture mechanics, behavior of interface cracks, cracks in piezoelectric materials and shape memory alloys, impact on woven composites, and bone adaptation. Methods are being developed to measure material properties of micro-sized specimens.

The Nathan Cummings Chair of Mechanics

Incumbent: Prof. Dvora Barnea
The Chair's activity will focus on developing models and carry out experiments in the diverse areas of Mechanical Engineering such as: Fracture Mechanics, composite materials, multiphase flows, micro mechanical systems, alternative energy, dispersion of contaminants in the atmosphere, etc.

The Bernhard and Gunter Lazarus Chair of Aeronautics

Incumbent: Prof. Touvia Miloh
The purpose of the Chair is to stimulate research in aerodynamics. Most of the activity is experimental in nature, with specific applications in mind. The work is directed toward the reduction of drag, the reduction of aerodynamic noise, jet propulsion, the generation of high lift devices and unsteady aerodynamics. Some of the experimental techniques developed are used in industrial aerodynamics, such as measuring and predicting wind loads on complex structures and air pollution.

The Raquel and Manuel Klachky Chair in Subsurface Hydrology

Incumbent: Prof. Isaac Goldhirsch
The main research activity of the Chair is in modeling flow of water and transport contaminants in the upper soil layer and in aquifers. Subjects of environmental concern such as transport of radioactive waste in highly heterogeneous formations, motion of chemically reactive contaminants, modeling of multiphase flows at field scale, will be investigated in the coming years. Research on the impact of uncertainty upon hydrological prediction will be also pursued.

Chair in Micromechanics of Composite Materials

Incumbent: Prof. Yakov Benveniste
The Chair's activity will be concerned with several aspects concerning the micromechanics of composite materials and heterogeneous media. In particular, emphasis will be placed on the development of models for effective property determination, the modeling of composites, and the study of exactly solvable microstructures.