Group Director
jfpatric@ncsu.edu
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Patrick is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) with an affiliate appointment in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and member of the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL) at North Carolina State University. He is interested in the development of multifunctional, structural composites to address interdisciplinary challenges in modern aerospace, automotive, civil, energy, and naval applications.
Dr. Patrick received both his BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering at North Carolina State University and a PhD in Structural Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology before returning to NC State as a faculty member.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
PhD Student
Sandeep received his BE degree from B.M.S College of Engineering Bangalore (2011) and MS degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (2014), both in Mechanical Engineering. He worked as a design engineer for GE Transportation prior to pursuing doctoral studies.
PhD Student
Bill received his BS (2007) and MCE (2009) degrees in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University and is now pursing his PhD degree. He is a licensed Civil (PE) and Structural (SE) Engineer in the US, Canada, and Ireland. In addition to university research, he works for an Engineering and Construction firm headquartered in Raleigh, NC, that focuses on building and maintaining telecommunication infrastructure across North America.
PhD Student
Zach received his BS (2017) and MCE (2023) in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University and is now pursuing a PhD degree. He was awarded a departmental research scholarship to study the effect of microvascular networks on mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced polymer composites.
PhD Student
Jack received his BS (2021) in Mechanical Engineering from the Milwuakee School of Engineering and is now pursuing a PhD degree. He was awarded the prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
BS Student
Nelson is pursuing his BS in Civil Engineering with a minor in Computer Science with an expected graduation of May 2026. He has been awarded a departmental research scholarship to investigate the self-healing properties of polymers/composites.
BS Student
Ajay is pursuing his BS in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business Administration with an expected graduation of May 2026. He was awarded a departmental research scholarship to investigate the multifunctional properties of polymer nanocomposites.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
HS Student
Kameron is part of the Mentorship Research Program at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) and plans to study mechanical engineering in college.
ALUMNI
Urmi received her PhD degree (2022) in Civil Engineering from NC State University researching thermal regulation and multifunctionality in microvascular materials. She now works as a Process Engineer at Intel Corporation.
Al received his PhD degree (2023) in Mechanical Engineering from NC State University researching self-healing of fiber-composites via in situ thermal remending. He is now part of the Future Technical Leader’s (FTL) program at Northrop Grumman.
OPEN POSITIONS
Graduate research assistant position(s) are currently available in the Multifunctional Composites Group. These positions require a strong theoretical and experimental background with expertise in structural mechanics, processing and characterization of polymer based fiber-composites. The applicant will be part of an interdisciplinary team focused on the creation of novel materials systems with multifunctional response.
Qualified applicants should prepare a single .pdf application file containing:
(1) cover letter, (2) current curriculum vitae, if available (3) copy of one archival paper for which the applicant is first author. This paper should be representative of the applicant’s best, most relevant work.
Applications should be submitted via email to: jfpatric@ncsu.edu
Highly motivated undergraduates who are interested in getting involved with our research should contact Dr. Patrick via email to determine funding and project availability.