The James W. Dally Young Investigator Award is given annually by the Society for Experimental Mechanics (SEM) to recognize a young professional (within 10 years of Ph.D.) who has made significant contributions in education and has demonstrated an excellence in research in the field of experimental mechanics.
Dr. Shuman Xia is an Associate Professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He obtained his B.S. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics with highest distinction from Beijing University in 2003, and then attended Brown University where he received a M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Engineering (Solid Mechanics) in 2008. He joined the faculty of Georgia Tech in 2011 after completing postdoctoral studies at the California Institute of Technology.
His research interests include mechanics of energy storage materials, experimental nano- and micro-mechanics, fracture and failure of heterogeneous media, and mechanics of active materials. He is the recipient of the Orr Early Career Award from the Materials Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Fylde Strain Best Paper Prize, and the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award.