Robert J. Melosh Medal

Presented annually to the best student paper on finite element analysis

Robert J. Melosh

Since 1989, the Robert J. Melosh Medal Competition has provided a forum for young engineers and researchers to present their work to and interact with leaders in the field of computational mechanics.

The award honors Prof. Melosh—a pioneering researcher in finite element methods and former chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Duke. The Melosh Medal was established in view of his body of work, and aims to reflect his dedication to the education of engineers.

The names of winners are inscribed on a plaque displayed in Hudson Hall.

2020 Contest

A virtual 31st Annual Robert J. Melosh Medal Competition for the Best Student Paper on Finite Element Analysis was held on October 22-23.

Winner Finalist

  • Stein Stoter
    Institute of Mechanics and Computation Mechanics, Leibniz University Hannover

List of past winners »

Judges

  • Professor Omar Ghattas
    Oden Institute for Computational Science & Engineering
    Departments of Geological Sciences & Mechanical Engineering
    The University of Texas at Austin
  • Peter Wriggers
    Institute for Continuum Mechanics
    Leibniz Universitat Hannover

The Prize

  • The Robert J. Melosh Medal
  • $500 honorarium

The Competition

Phase 1: Review

Extended abstracts are submitted.

Abstracts are then reviewed by a panel of distinguished researchers in computational mechanics.

Phase 2: Symposium

The top five papers are selected as finalists, and their student authors are invited to participate in a symposium at Duke.

How to Enter

Answer our Call for Papers:

CALL FOR PAPERS

Past Winners

Click to see list

1989-2019

2019

 Dewen Yushu, University of Notre Dame

2018
  • Andreas Krischok, Stanford University
  • Vidyasagar, California Institute of Technology

2017
  • Heng Chi, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Matthias Mayr, Technical University of Munich

2016

  Maruti Kumar Mudunuru, University of Houston

2015

  Maurizio Chiaramonte, Stanford University

2014

 Phani Motamarri, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2013

 Ju Liu, University of Texas, Austin

2011

 Daniel Hurtado, Caltech

2010

 Phanish Suryanarayana, Caltech

2009

 Robert B. Gracie, Northwestern University

2008
  • Ludovic Chamoin, ENS de Cachan
  • Irina Kalashnikova, Stanford University

2007
  • Michael Hain, Leibniz University Hannover
  • Vikram Gavini, Caltech

2006

Honayoun Heidari, North Carolina State University

2005

Mahmoud I. Hussein, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

2004

Juan Pablo Pontaza, Texas A&M University

2003

Prasanna Raghavan, Ohio State University

2002

Ulrich Hetmaniuk, University of Colorado, Boulder

2001

Xiaonong Meng, Duke University

2000

Aleksander Czekanski, University of Toronto

1999

John E. Dolbow, Northwestern University

1998

Serge Prudhomme, University of Texas, Austin

1997

 Jerome M. Solberg, University of California, Berkeley

1996

 David C. Winkler, University of Connecticut

1995
  • Victor G. Oancea, Duke University
  • James R. Stewart, Stanford University

1994

Jinmiao Zhang, Ohio State Univerisity

1993

Bhaskar Joshi, University of Saskatchewan 

1992

C.R. Swaminathan, University of Minnesota

1991
  • Alonso Pena, I.T.E.S.M. Monterrey, Mexico
  • Juan B. Sainz, I.T.E.S.M. Monterrey, Mexico

1990

Ricardo F. Barbosa, University of Illinois

1989
  • H. Allison Smith, Duke University
  • R.G. Wan, University of Alberta