Integrated Multi-Physics Laboratory
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Principle Investigator

Pania Newell Adjunct Faculty, School of Computing, The University of Utah. Adjunct Faculty, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Utah. Post-Doc, Engineering Sciences, Sandia National Laboratories, 2011-2012. Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Colorado-Boulder, 2011. M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Colorado-Boulder, 2009. M.S., Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico, 2006. B.S., Civil Engineering, Baha'i Institute for Higher Education, 2001.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Liping Zhu is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on molecular dynamics simulations. She earned her master’s degree from Lanzhou University in China and completed her PhD at the University of Lille in France. Her primary research involves investigating the physical and mechanical properties of porous materials at the nanoscale. She enjoys cooking, traveling, and watching movies in her spare time. Sponsor: The Department of Energy-The Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR)

Graduate Student

	Seo Ahn Young is a Ph.D. candidate in the ME program. She received her Bachelors of Science from the University of Utah in Physics with Applied Physics emphasis. She worked at Domo for 1.5 years as a QA Technician and a Technical Support Engineer, and as a professional model. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, cooking, long boarding, and photography. Project: In-situ nanomechanical characterization of porous media Sponsor: The Department of Energy-Office of Basic Sciences
	Ryan Nielsen is currently a PhD student in the Mechanical Engineering program. He received his bachelor of science from the University of Utah in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Solid Mechanics. He currently works in the aerospace industry as an engineer for Williams International . During his free time, Ryan enjoys traveling, playing music, rock climbing and skateboarding. Project: Thermo-mechanical homogenization in porous materials. Sponsor: Industry
	Ronald Santiago is a Ph.D. student in the ME program. He received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Brasília, where he worked on a scientific initiation project titled "The Heart and Circulation: Mathematical Models for Simulation and Learning". In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, playing the piano, and playing soccer. Project: 4D characterization of granular materials. Sponsor: The National Science Foundation
	Dila Kandel is a first-year PhD student in the mechanical engineering program. He completed his master’s degree in applied physics in 2023 from the University of Massachusetts Boston, USA, where he conducted research on particle tracking using inline digital holography. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and hiking.
	Vahid Saboori Khorasani is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He obtained his M.Sc. degree from the Kharazmi University, Iran, where he investigated the solutions of governing equations of mechanical systems by implementing the computational procedures. In his free time, he enjoys gaming and reading popular science books.
	Mohamed Essam is a masters student in the ME program. He received his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Power Engineering from Cairo University. He has worked as a Piping Design Engineer at Saudi Aramco and various national companies in Egypt after his bachelor's degree. In his free time, they enjoy horse riding, swimming, and reading. His current research focuses on the micro/macro mechanical characterization of porous materials.

Undergraduate Student

	Yoan Rossy is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a major in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering. He is interested in everything he puts effort into and enjoys learning. In his spare time, he enjoys rock climbing, producing music, reading, and spending time with friends.
	Neeraja Vasa is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Business. She is inquisitive and likes to explore new things. In her free time, she likes to make art, dance, cook, and watch movies.
	Jake Heairld is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Computer Science. He is passionate about computational problem-solving and enjoys working on software development projects. Jake is excited to explore innovative solutions in simulation, modeling, and mesh generation. In his free time, Jake enjoys snowboarding, going to the gym, and hiking through the mountains.
	Alexander Lott is a 5th year undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Physics with a minor in music. His primary research interest is investigating multidisciplinary applications of physics concepts and principles. In his spare time, he likes to play piano, ski, read, and hike.
	Anton Smolyanyy is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a double major in Data Science and Applied Mathematics. He is passionate about computational sciences and is excited to apply his skills to solve real-world engineering challenges. Outside of school, Anton is a competitive rock climber, having competed on the national and international levels. He also loves traveling and spending time outdoors.

Group Alumni