Balakumar "Bala" Balachandran is an Indian-American

mechanician A mechanician is an engineer or a scientist working in the field of mechanics, or in a related or sub-field: engineering or computational mechanics, applied mechanics, geomechanics, biomechanics, and mechanics of materials. Names other than m ...

and

applied mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History One ...

recognized for his contributions to the fields of

nonlinear dynamics In mathematics and science, a nonlinear system (or a non-linear system) is a system in which the change of the output is not proportional to the change of the input. Nonlinear problems are of interest to engineers, biologists, physicists, mathem ...

, experimental methodologies, and data-driven approaches. He is a Minta Martin Professor and Distinguished University Professor at the

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD i ...

, where he served as Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering from 2011 to 2023. Balachandran has been recognized with the J.P. Den Hartog Award and the Lyapunov Award from the

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing edu ...

for his lifetime contributions to these fields, and has published 3 books on vibrations and nonlinear dynamics.

Education and career

Bala Balachandran was born in the city of

Nellore Nellore, also spelt as Nelluru, is a city located on the banks of Penna River, in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, India.Indian Institute of Technology, Madras The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras or IIT-M) is a Public university, public technical university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the eight public Institutes of Eminence of India. As an Indian Institutes of ...

, India, in 1985, and his M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...

(now Virginia Tech) in 1986. He completed his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1990 under the guidance of Ali H. Nayfeh. In 1993 he became an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, where he received tenure in 1998 and was promoted to Full Professor in 2003. After serving as Associate Chair and Director of Graduate Studies from 2006 to 2010, and as Acting Chair from 2010-2011, he became Chair of the department in 2011. He was named a Minta Martin Professor in 2012 and Distinguished University Professor in 2022.

Research

Balachandran's research spans the fields of

applied mathematics Applied mathematics is the application of mathematics, mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and Industrial sector, industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a ...

applied physics Applied physics is the application of physics to solve scientific or engineering problems. It is usually considered a bridge or a connection between physics and engineering. "Applied" is distinguished from "pure" by a subtle combination of fac ...

mechanics Mechanics () is the area of physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among Physical object, physical objects. Forces applied to objects may result in Displacement (vector), displacements, which are changes of ...

, dynamics, control, and

system identification The field of system identification uses statistical methods to build mathematical models of dynamical systems from measured data. System identification also includes the optimal design#System identification and stochastic approximation, optimal de ...

, with an emphasis on the analysis and application of nonlinear phenomena and nonlinear dynamics in diverse systems ranging from rotating machinery, vehicle systems, and space structures to disease dynamics.

Awards

Balachandran's contributions have been recognized with honors including the 2023 Pendray Literature Award from the

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecra ...

, the 2022 Robert H. Scanlan Medal from the

American Society of Civil Engineers The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is a tax-exempt professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, it is the oldest national engineering soci ...

, the 2021 J.P. Den Hartog Award from the

, and the 2021 Lyapunov Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He is also a recipient of the 2016 Melville Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the 2015 Hind Rattan Award bestowed by the NRI Welfare Society of India. He is a member of diverse professional societies including the

, the

, and the

, the

Royal Aeronautical Society The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest Aeronautics, aeronautical society in the world. Memb ...

, and the International Society for Nonlinear Dynamics. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Royal Aeronautical Society of the United Kingdom.

References

External links

Balakumar Balachandran's University of Maryland homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balachandran, Balakumar 1963 births Living people