Dr. Vikram Deshpande

Class of 2024-25

Professor of Materials Engineering
Department of Engineering
Cambridge University, England

A leading scholar in the micromechanics of materials, with a focus on the design of micro-architectured materials and the modeling of soft and active materials, Vikram Deshpande has fundamentally reshaped the field of microstructural mechanics in both engineering and biological systems. He has created a new area of study that combines experimental innovation with theoretical insights.

He is highly regarded for his contributions to the mechanics of materials, which were highlighted in his citation for election to the Royal Society.

Deshpande earned his Ph.D. from Cambridge University.

He is an international member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the Royal Society of London.

Honors include the Zdeněk P. Bažant Medal for Failure and Damage Prevention from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Warner T. Koiter Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Rodney Hill Prize in Solid Mechanics.

He has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed articles and four book chapters. He holds four patents.

Deshpande will collaborate with faculty and students in the College of Engineering.