11/14/2024 Taylor Parks
Written by Taylor Parks
Professor Janelle Wharry recently joined the MechSE community and the Materials Research Laboratory. Wharry and the majority of her research group have been settling into Champaign-Urbana this semester after moving from Purdue University, where Wharry was a faculty member for eight years.
The campus’s communal values of interdisciplinary teamwork and innovation motivated Wharry’s decision to move to Illinois. “When developing a research proposal with Illinois faculty, the discussion, exchange of knowledge and understanding came so naturally—it became one of the most effective collaborations I’ve ever had,” she recalled. “I’ve never had an environment with that much of a collaborative spirit.”
Wharry’s research, which focuses on advanced materials performance and manufacturing, particularly for nuclear energy systems, takes on a unique perspective from her time in industry. After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nuclear engineering and radiological sciences from the University of Michigan, Wharry took a job as a nuclear engineer at Duke Energy in North Carolina.
“The most common and costly issues the company experienced at that time were related to materials performance within the reactor,” Wharry recalled. “The experience made me realize that materials are the cornerstone of the nuclear field, which motivated my decision to [return to Michigan] for my PhD.”
This revelation also influenced the overarching theme for Wharry’s research efforts. “In nuclear energy system applications, we think about extremely irradiative or corrosive environments in the reactor as being detrimental to the material—conditions that worsen performance,” she said. “What I’ve tried to embrace throughout my career is to change that perspective and look at these effects as having the potential to be beneficial. For example, if irradiation causes the material to change its structure, could there be applications where a dynamic material is conducive?”
Wharry hopes to collaboratively explore new avenues within this theme as she becomes more active on campus. “I want to relish this opportunity to explore ideas in new areas and think about trying higher-risk, higher-reward projects,” she said.
She also serves as Editor for both Materials Today Communications and Materials Science & Engineering: A. “Working with the journals is something I really enjoy,” she said. “I see some of the most cutting-edge research that people all over the world are doing. I also get to witness interesting synergistic approaches to the same scientific problems happening in multiple places, which is a unique perspective.”
Outside of work, Wharry and her husband have enjoyed getting to know CU and finding things that are meaningful to them. “My husband is a stand-up comedian and he’s been able to embrace the up-and-coming comedy scene here,” she said. “As for me, I have Japanese ancestry and have really appreciated the cultural experience that the Japan House offers.”
Wharry will teach ME 330 (Engineering Materials) in Spring 2025. Students who would like more information about joining her research lab can contact her at jpw@illinois.edu.