Dr. Sirish Namilae is a professor of aerospace engineering at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). He obtained his MS in materials science from the Indian Institute of Science and a PhD in mechanical engineering from Florida State University. He joined the Aerospace Engineering Department at Embry-Riddle in 2014 after 10 years of experience in industry (Boeing) and national lab (Oak Ridge National Laboratory). At ERAU, Dr. Namilae leads the Advanced Materials and Mechanics Group and directs the composites lab. His research has focused on areas of composite materials and complex systems, as well as multiscale modeling. He has authored about 100 journal and conference publications in these research areas and has trained eight PhD and 20 MS thesis students. He has generated more than USD 6 million in research funding over the last few years. Dr. Namilae won ERAU’s Abbas–Sivjee Outstanding Researcher award in 2022. He is also an AIAA associate fellow.
In his Fulbright research fellowship, Prof. Namilae is collaborating with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras researchers to establish a novel foundation for interfacial design of next-generation composites. The research is pioneering the development of biodegradable natural fiber composites featuring nanoscale interfacial features. Additionally, Prof. Namilae is conducting novel experiments and formulating models to study interfacial mechanics and creating design maps that correlate nanoscale features with the desired composite properties. The outcomes of this research will provide guidance for optimal interface design of robust, multifunctional composites, including eco-friendly natural fiber composites.