Wei Gao, Principle Investigator

wei.gao@tamu.edu, MEOB 114

Dr. Gao is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He earned a Bachelor degree in Engineering Mechanics from Sichuan University in 2003, and a Master degree in Solid Mechanics from Tsinghua University in 2006. Upon receiving his second Master in Mechanical Engineering from University of California, Irvine in 2007, Gao worked in industry for two years on the drive train design for electrical vehicles. Furthering his academic pursuit, he received Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from University of Texas at Austin in 2014 and conducted his postdoctoral training at Northwestern University. Before joining TAMU, Dr. Gao worked as an Assistant Professor at University of Texas at San Antonio from 2016 to 2022. Dr. Gao received the NSF CAREER award in 2021.

Wei Zhang, Postdoctoral Fellow

wei.zhang@tamu.edu, JCAIN 109

Dr. Zhang received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He then furthered his educational journey at Pennsylvania State University, earning a Ph.D. in ME with an emphasis on finite element analysis and structural optimization of origami-inspired smart materials and structures. Dr. Zhang joined Dr. Gao’s group at Texas A&M University in May 2023. His current research interests include AI/ML guided additive manufacturing of biocompatible polymers and interface design for advanced composite materials.

Reza Namakian, Postdoctoral Fellow

rnamak@tamu.edu, JCAIN 109

Dr. Reza Namakian holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering from Louisiana State University (LSU), along with a Graduate Minor in Computer Science from the same institution. He also possesses two M.Sc. degrees, one in Civil and Environmental Engineering from LSU and another in Civil Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, as well as a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering. Dr. Namakian has done research on atomistic simulations of materials, specifically investigating the atomic scale mechanisms in thin film deposition and exploring fundamental plastic deformation mechanisms in crystalline materials. In May 2023, he joined Dr. Gao’s research group at Texas A&M University. His current project focuses on mechanics and physics of low dimensional materials.

Daniel Ocampo, PhD Student

daniel.ocampo@tamu.edu, JCAIN 109

Daniel Ocampo is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M. He obtained his Mechanical Engineering degree from Universidad EAFIT in Colombia, and joined Dr. Gao’s research group in 2020 at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). His current work focuses on using cutting-edge computational approaches to understand how materials behave at the atomic level and create new materials with enhanced properties. Daniel is interested in material design and optimization, statistical analysis, machine learning, and interdisciplinary collaborations to reveal new discoveries and material properties.

Ziye Deng, PhD Student

ziyedeng@tamu.edu, JCAIN 109

Ziye Deng is a PhD student pursuing his studies in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Prior to this, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from China University of Geoscience (Wuhan), where he also completed a minor in Data Science. In August 2023, Ziye joined Dr. Gao’s research group at Texas A&M. His research interests revolve around the application of advanced simulation techniques and machine learning models to augment the efficiency and accuracy of multiscale materials modeling.

Maria Garzon, Visiting MS Student

maria.garzon@tamu.edu, JCAIN 109

Maria Garzon earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics in 2021 from Universidad EAFIT, followed by a Master’s degree in Applied Physics in 2023 from the same university. She had worked on renewable energy product design using finite element method and materials characterization techniques. Maria joined Dr. Gao’s group in November 2022, where her current research involves atomistic modeling of upcycled polymer lubricant for interface engineering.