Biography

Dr. K. Chandrashekhara is the Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) and the Director of the Composite Manufacturing Laboratory. His research areas are composite materials, additive manufacturing, finite element analysis, and experimental characterization. He has performed research for NSF, ARO, DOE, ONR, NASA, USDA, HUD, Air Force Research Laboratory, Naval Air Systems Command, Army Benet Laboratories, Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce, and industries including Boeing, General Dynamics, Bell Helicopter, Nucor, Gerdau, and U.S. Steel.

He has published over 175 journal articles and granted one U.S. patent. He is the co-author of a  textbook on composite materials (John Wiley, Fourth Edition).  He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy, and Journal of Multifunctional Composite Materials.  He has received Missouri S&T Faculty Excellence Awards, Global Learning Outstanding Teaching Commendation Awards, ISC Distinguished Investigator Award, Academy of Mechanical Engineers Research Excellence Award, Society of American Military Engineers Award for Innovative Materials Development, American Foundry Society Conference Best Paper Award. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Research Interests

Composite Materials and Structures, Additive Manufacturing of Polymer Composites and Metal Cellular Structures, High Temperature Composites, Smart Structures, Bio-composites, Composite Manufacturing, Experimental Characterization, Finite Element Analysis, and Process Modeling.

Education

• 1985 – Ph.D. in Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 1979 – M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
• 1977 – B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Madras Institute of Technology
• 1974 – B.S. in Applied Mathematics, University of Mysore