Brian S Mercer

Education

• B.S. Mechanical Engineering University of California, Los Angeles 2010
• M. S. Mechanical Engineering University of California, Berkeley 2013
• Ph. D. Mechanical Engineering University of California, Berkeley 2016

Biography

Brian Mercer's technical expertise lies in computational and theoretical solid mechanics with a focus on multiscale and multiphysics numerical models. Dr. Mercer completed his Ph.D. in 2016 in collaboration with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, using atomic-scale modeling techniques to study the structure-property relationships in PPTA aramid fibers. He has also served as an FEA consultant and worked as a research engineer to develop numerical models for optimization of selective laser melting additive manufacturing processes.

Since 2018, Dr. Mercer has served as a Lecturer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, teaching courses on a range of topics including introductory solid mechanics, engineering materials, machine component design, computational mechanics, and finite element analysis. His pedagogical interests lie in developing and implementing effective teaching strategies at scale for large lecture courses and increasing student literacy in using computational tools such as Python to help solve engineering problems.

Academic Positions

• Lecturer, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2018-present

Other Professional Employment

• Research Engineer, Applied Research Institute, 2016-2018

Resident Instruction

• ME 330: Engineering Materials
• ME 371: Machine Design II
• ME 471: Finite Element Analysis
• TAM 201: Mechanics for Technology and Management
• TAM 251: Introductory Solid Mechanics
• TAM 470: Computational Mechanics

Research Interests

• Engineering Education
• Computational solid mechanics
• Finite element methods
• Multiscale modeling
• Molecular dynamics

Selected Articles in Journals

• P. Priya, B. Mercer, S. Huang, M. Aboukhatwa, L. Yuan, S. Chaudhuri. "Towards prediction of microstructure during laser based additive manufacturing process of Co-Cr-Mo powder beds". Materials & Design, Volume 196, November 2020, 109117.
• B. Mercer, E. Zywicz, and P. Papadopoulos. “A molecular dynamics-based analysis of the influence of strain-rate and temperature on the mechanical strength of PPTA crystallites” Polymer, Volume 129, October 2017, pp. 92-104.
• B. Mercer, E. Zywicz, and P. Papadopoulos. “Molecular dynamics modeling of PPTA crystallite mechanical properties in the presence of defects” Polymer, Volume 114, April 2017, pp. 329-347.
• B. Mercer, K. K. Mandadapu, and P. Papadopoulos. “Homogenization of high-frequency wave propagation in linearly elastic layered media using a continuum Irving-Kirkwood theory” International Journal of Solids and Structures, Volume 96, October 2016, pp. 162-172.
• B. Mercer, K. K. Mandadapu, and P. Papadopoulos. “Novel Formulations of Microscopic Boundary-Value Problems in Multiscale Finite Element Methods” Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Volume 286, April 2015, pp. 268-292.

Professional Societies

• American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)

Teaching Honors

• List of teachers ranked as excellent by their students - TAM 251 (Spring 2019, Summer 2019, Fall 2019 )
• List of teachers ranked as excellent by their students: ME 471 (Spring 2023, Spring 2024 )
• List of teachers ranked as excellent by their students: TAM 470 (Fall 2021, Fall 2024)
• List of teachers ranked as excellent by their students: ME 371 (Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2024 )
• List of teachers ranked as excellent by their students: ME 330 (Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Fall 2022 )

Improvement Activities

• Collins Scholar Program (2018-2019) - Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education