Upcoming Events
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: Asifur Rahman
Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Civil Engineering, SBU
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
211 Frey Hall
Nonlinear Mechanics and Design of Morphing Structures with Discrete Elastic Rods
Abstract
Morphing structures adapt their shape in response to external stimuli, in contrast to traditional fixed structures. Analyzing and designing them requires capturing their non-linear mechanics during large deformations as they transition between states. In this seminar, Asifur will present his doctoral work that combines experiments with an in-house Discrete Elastic Rods (DER) framework – a geometrically exact and computationally efficient rod model – to uncover new design principles for morphing systems in engineering applications. The work begins with a bistable morphing unit consisting of an arch mounted on a compliant base, which can be reconfigured via snap-through buckling. One-dimensional arrays of such units attain multiple stable shapes upon localized snapping, and their morphed configurations can be predicted by concatenating single-unit simulations – an idea that enables inverse design of structures snapping into target shapes. Extending this concept to two dimensions, bistable dimpled frames are shown to exhibit mechanical memory, and numerical simulations reveal how geometrical parameters govern memory performance, including its fragility and eventual disappearance when parameters are chosen incorrectly. A prestressed version of the bistable unit is then introduced, offering simplified fabrication and predictable snap-through response, supported by a proposed numerical technique and a theoretical model. Finally, a modeling technique in DER is developed to capture out-of-plane buckling in kirigami-based geometries, with experimental validation confirming its efficacy. Together, these findings advance the understanding of morphing systems, extend DER’s capabilities, and open new pathways for realizing morphing structures in engineering applications.
About the Speaker
Asifur received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, his master’s in civil engineering from the University of Central Florida, and his Ph.D. in civil engineering from Stony Brook University, where he recently started as Postdoctoral Associate. His research focuses on the nonlinear mechanics of morphing structures, multistable systems, and metamaterials, combining numerical modeling, experimental validation, and in-house tool development. Looking ahead, he aims to bridge the gap between programmable metamaterials and adaptive large-scale systems, with a particular focus on designing intelligent, responsive systems that can sense, adapt, and compute mechanically in real-world environments.
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: TBA
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
211 Frey Hall
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: Brian Caufield
Associate, Coastal Systems Resilience Discipline Lead, CDM Smith
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
Virtual
Topic: Coastal
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: Nina Kshetry
Founder and President; Ensaras, Inc.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
211 Frey Hall
Beyond the Model: Scaling Applied AI for Water and Resource Recovery
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: TBA
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
211 Frey Hall
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: Eleonora Tronci
Assistant Professor, Tandon School of Engineering, NYU
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
211 Frey Hall
Topic: Structures
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: SeyedAlireza Mirghafouri
PhD Candidate, Department of Civil Engineering, SBU
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
211 Frey Hall
Coupled Flow–Soil–Structure Interaction under Tsunami-Like Bores
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: Joseph Chow
Professor, Tandon School of Engineering, NYU
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
211 Frey Hall
Evaluating Emerging Mobility Technologies for a Sustainable Built Environment
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: Guanyu Huang
Assistant Professor; Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine; SBU
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
211 Frey Hall
Application of Satellite Remote Sensing for Air Quality Management
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: TBA
Tuesday, November 24, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
211 Frey Hall
Fall 2026 CIV Seminar Series: Arindam Banerjee
Paul B. Reinhold Endowed Professor and Department Chair, P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, Lehigh University
Tuesday, December 1, 2026
2:00 to 3:20 pm
211 Frey Hall
Turbulence by Design - From Controlled Flows to Turbine Wakes
Past Events