George J. Weng
George J. Weng is a Chinese American engineering professor in the field of solid mechanics. He made contributions to micromechanics, composite materials, nanocomposites, and mechanics of materials. His works are marked with the connection between the micro-scale processes and macro-scale behavior of solids.
Early life and education
Weng was born in Taiwan. He went to National Taiwan University to study Mechanical Engineering, received a B.S. in 1967. In 1974, he received his Ph.D. from Yale University in Engineering and Applied Science under the supervision of Prof. Aris Phillips, with a dissertation titled “The Investigation of Yield Surface by Dislocation Mechanics”.
Career
He joined Rutgers University as an Assistant Professor in 1977, was promoted to an Associate Professor in 1980, a Full Professor in 1984, and a Distinguished Professor in 1992. Prior to that, he was awarded a Dutch Government Fellowship as a Research Fellow at Delft University of Technology (1973-1974). He also worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at UCLA (1975-1976) and a Research Engineer at General Motors Research Laboratories (1976-1977).
His research career started with the study of dislocation mechanics and crystal plasticity.1 Subsequently it evolved into micromechanics of composites to determine some elastic properties of reinforced solids,2,3 and to find the aspect-ratio dependence of effective moduli.4,5 He then moved into stress-induced phase transition in ductile materials6 and in shape-memory alloys.7 He continued into domain switch8 and phase-field simulations of ferroelectric crystals.9 His focus then expanded to grain-size effects of nanocrystalline materials.10,11 His subsequent study was on the multi-field electro-magnetic-elastic coupling of multiferroic composites,12 and their direct and converse effects.13 In later years, he became interested in electrical properties of nanocomposites. He developed a percolation theory for carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene based polymer nanocomposites.14 and a Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars mechanism15 to explain how the interface between the highly conducting nanofillers and the insulating matrix could drastically enhance the permittivity of the nanocomposites and the conductivity under AC field.16. He also observed that, while filler agglomeration tended to have adverse effects on the conductivity, it could lower the percolation threshold and increase the conductivity under certain dispersion state.17 Monte Carlo simulations on electrical conductivity18,19 and thermal conductivity considering the Kapitza contact and graphene/graphene contact20 were conducted. Novel applications in electromagnetic interference shielding,21 pressure sensing,22 and time-dependent stress sensing23 were also highlighted.
In addition to his journal papers, he has also published two major book chapters, one on mechanical properties of nanocrystalline materials and the other on phase field and micromechanics of ferroelectric crystals. He has also edited two books: Micromechanics and Inhomogeneity (with M. Taya and H. Abe) and Micromechanics and Nanomechanics of Composite Solids (with S.A. Meguid).
Weng’s works covered several distinct topics but are inter-related. In recognition of his “outstanding research contributions in theoretical solid mechanics,” Weng was awarded the William Prager Medal by the Society of Engineering Science. A 3-day, 55-paper symposium on Micromechanics, Composites, and Multifunctional Materials, was also held in his honor during the Joint SES 50th Annual Technical Meeting and ASME Applied Mechanics Summer Conference at Brown University, July 28-31, 2013.
His professional activities included Editor of Acta Mechanica (1985-2020), Editor-in-Chief of ASME Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology (1992-1997), Chairman of ASME Materials Division (1993-1994), and an international appointee to the University of Hong Kong Visiting Research Professor Scheme (2010-2013).
Honors and awards
William Prager Medal, Society of Engineering Science (2013) https://socengsci.org/prager-medal/
Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1991) https://www.asme.org/about-asme/honors-awards/fellows
Fellow, American Academy of Mechanics (1997) https://aamech.org/fellows/
Personal life
Weng is married to Jackie Li. They have three daughters, Shawn Weng, Cidney Weng and Zoe Weng. He also has a son, Bruce Weng, and daughter, Joyce Weng, from an earlier marriage. He enjoys his pastime in golf, opera, and walking.
References
1G.J. Weng and A. Phillips, Int. J. Eng. Sci. 15, 45, 1977 https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7225(77)90068-4
2G.J. Weng, Int. J. Eng. Sci. 22, 845-856, 1984 https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7225(84)90033-8
3G.J. Weng, Int. J. Eng. Sci. 22, 28, 1111-1120, 1990 https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7225(90)90111-U
4G.P. Tandon and G.J. Weng, Polymer Composites 5, 327-333 https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.750050413
5G.P. Tandon and G.J. Weng, Composites Sci. Tech. 27,117-132, 1986 https://doi.org/10.1016/0266-3538(86)90067-9
6A. Bhattacharyya and G.J. Weng, J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 42, 1699-1724, 1994 https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5096(94)90068-X
7Z.K. Lu, G.J. Weng, J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 45, 1905-1928, 1997 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1359-6454(98)00203-1
8J. Li and G.J. Weng, Proc. R. Soc., London. A 445, 3493-3511, 1999 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1999.0462
9Y. Su, H. Kang, Y. Wang, J. Li, and G.J. Weng, Phys. Rev. B 95, 054121, 2017 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.95.054121
10B. Jiang and G.J. Weng, J. Mech. Phys. Solids 52, 1125-1149, 2004 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2003.09.002
11P. Barai, and G.J. Weng, Int. J. Plasticity 25 2410-2434, 2009 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijplas.2009.04.001
12Y. Wang, Y Su, J Li, G.J. Weng, J. Appl. Phys. 117, 164106, 2015 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4919016
13J Zhang, C Fang, G.J. Weng, Proc. R. Soc. A 475, 20190002, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2019.0002
14Y Wang, G.J. Weng, S.A. Meguid, A.M. Hamouda, J. Appl. Phys. 115, 193706, 2014 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4878195
15X Xia, Z Zhong, G.J. Weng, Mech. Mater. 109, 42-50, 2017 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmat.2017.03.014
16X Xia, Y Wang, Z Zhong, G.J. Weng, Carbon 111, 221-230, 2017 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2016.09.078
17Y Wang, J.W. Shan, G.J. Weng, J. Appl. Phys. 118, 065101, 2015 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4928293
18C Fang, J Zhang, X Chen, GJ Weng, Carbon 146, 125-138, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2019.01.098
19C Fang, J Zhang, X Chen, GJ Weng, Nanomaterials 10, 1129, 2020 https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10061129
20Y Su, JJ Li, GJ Weng Carbon 137, 222-233, 2018 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2018.05.033
21X. Xia, Y. Wang, Z. Zhong, G.J. Weng, J. Appl. Phys. 120, 085102 2016 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4961401
22H Du, A.D. Mazzeo, J.W. Shan, X Xia, GJ Weng, Composite Struct. 311, 116838, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2023.116838
23X Xia, S Zhao, J Zhang, C Fang, G.J. Weng, Composites Sci. Tech. 247, 110417, 2024
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2023.110417
Publication Links
Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=HN86plgAAAAJ&hl=en
Scopus https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7006124528
Web of Science https://www.publons.com/researcher/1760319/george-weng
Website https://ecs.rutgers.edu/~weng/