Department of Mechanical Engineering

Schafer 2050 Challenge Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Aerospace Engineering
Department of Material Science and Engineering (courtesy appointment)

2028 Black Engineering Building
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011-2161
Phone: (515) 294-9691
Fax: (801) 788 0026
E-mail: vlevitasiastate.edu
Curriculum Vitae

Education
University of Hannover, Germany, Doctor-Engineer habil. in Continuum Mechanics, 1995
Institute of Electronic Machinebuilding, Moscow, USSR, Dr. of Sciences in Continuum Mechanics, 1988
Institute for Superhard Materials, Kiev, USSR, PhD in Materials Science, 1981
Kiev Polytechnic Institute, Kiev, USSR, MS (Honors) in Mechanical Engineering, 1978

Area of Interests
Stress- and strain-induced phase transformations (martensitic and reconstructive phase transformations, melting, amorphization, and sublimation), high pressure mechanics and mechanochemistry, structural changes in materials via virtual melting, multiscale modeling, strain-induced chemical reactions, cavitation in liquids and solids, large inelastic deformation of solids, continuum thermodynamics and kinetics, instabilities in materials and structures, micromechanics and nanomechanics, ductile fracture, phase field approach, finite element simulations, energetic and nanoenergetic materials, superhard materials, smart materials.

Biosketch

Dr. Levitas is a mechanical engineer who has developed a strong multidisciplinary research program at the intersection of advanced mechanics, physics, material science, chemistry and applied mathematics and collaborates with the leading researchers over the world in these fields. He is considered as a founder of the theoretical high-pressure mechanochemistry. Dr. Levitas predicted and discovered various materials phenomena, including (a) virtual melting much below the thermodynamic melting temperature as mechanism of various phase transformations, high-strain-rate plastic flow, and fracture; (b) melt-dispersion-mechanism for reactions of aluminum nanoparticles, and (c) phase transformation in boron nitride induced by rotational plastic instability. He publishes his research results in the highly ranked journals in the fields of: Mechanics of Materials (J. Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Int. J. of Plasticity, Int. J. Solids and Structures, Int. J. Engineering Science); Physics (Physical Review Letters, Physical Review B, Europhysics Letters, Applied Physics Letters, Journal of Applied Physics). Material Science (Acta Materialia, Philosophical Magazine A); Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics (Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Chemical Physics); Computational Mechanics and Material Science (Computer Methods in Applied  Mechanics and Engineering, Computational Material Science); Mechanics and Applied Mathematics (Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis, Mathematics and Mechanics of Solids); Superhard and Smart Materials (Superhard Materials, J. Intelligent Material System and Structures). Dr. Levitas presented numerous plenary and keynote lectures at various international conferences, as well as numerous invited lectures at various organizations over the world. He organized multiple international multidisciplinary symposia on phase transformations and mechanochemistry. 

Awards and Honors

• 2009: Einstein Award for Scientific Achievement, International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, UK
• 2007: ASME Fellow
• 2006: Essential Science Indicator: Emerging Research Fronts Paper in Mathematics in August 2006
  A. Mielke, F. Theil, and V.I. Levitas. A variational formulation of rate-independent phase transformations using an extremum principle. Arch. Rational Mech. Anal., 162: 137-177, 2002.
• 2005: Barnie E. Rushing Faculty Distinguished Research Award (Texas Tech University).
• 2005: American Biographical Institute, Honorary Appointment at the Research Board of Advisors ("has been chosen for distinguished standing").
• 2004: American Medal of Honor (American Biographical Institute).
• 2001: Best Professor Award (Pi Tau Sigma, ME Department TTU, Fall 2001).
• 2001: Medal “40 years of the Institute for Superhard Materials'' for valuable contribution in the development of the synthesis of superhard materials.
• 1998: Richard von Mises Award of GAMM (Society of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics).
• 1995: International Journal of Engineering Sciences Distinguished Paper Award for 1994 and 1995.
• 1993-1995: Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship, Germany.
• 1984: Medal of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences for the best research work of young investigators.
• 1982: Award of the Union of Scientific-Technical Societies of the USSR for the research work of young investigators.
• 1981
• 1978: Award of the Ministry of High Education of the USSR for the best student research work.

Listed in

• 2010, 2001, 2000, 1999, 2000: Who Is Who in the World, 16th, 17th, 18th, and 27th Editions
• 2010, 2004, 2003, 2002: Who Is Who in America, 56th, 57th and 58th Editions
• 2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000: Dictionary of International Biography, 29th - 34th Editions
• 2009, 2008: 2000 Outstanding Scientists 2008/2009, International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England
• 2009, 2008: Asian-American Who is Who
• 2008: IBC Foremost Scientists of the World, International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England
• 2008: Leading Scientists of the World, International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England
• 2008: Top 100 Scientists 2008, International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England
• 2008, 2006, 2005: Who Is Who in Science and Engineering
• 2007, 2006, 2005: Who Is Who in American Education
• 2007: Cambridge Blue Book, International Biographical Centre
• 2006: Marquis Who Is Who
• 2004, 2003: Great Minds of the 21st Century
• 2004, 2003: 1000 Great Americans, 1st Edition
• 2004, 2003, 2002: 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century
• 1999: Lexington Who Is Who, 5th Edition

Selected publications
Total publications: 285 scientific papers, including 3 books, 10 book chapters, and 150 refereed journal papers, along with 11 patents.

Extended list of publications with full text files

• Levitas V.I. Large Deformation of Materials with Complex Rheological Properties at Normal and High Pressure. New York, Nova Science Publishers, 1996.
• Levitas V.I. and Zarechnyy O.M. Modeling and simulation of mechanochemical processes in rotational diamond anvil cell. Europhysics Letters, 2009, Vol. 88, 16004.
• Levitas V.I., Lee D.-W. and Preston D.L. Interface propagation and microstructure evolution in phase field models of stress-induced martensitic phase transformations. International J. Plasticity, 2009, doi: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2009.08.003.
• Levitas V.I. and Altukhova N. Sublimation via virtual melting  inside an elastoplastic material. Physical Review B, 2009, Vol. 79, No. 21, 212101.
• Levitas V. I., Levin V. A.,  Zingerman K. M., and  Freiman E. I. Displacive phase transitions at large strains: Phase-field theory and simulations. Physical Review Letters, 2009, Vol. 103, No. 2, 025702.
• Levitas V. I. Burn Time of Aluminum Nanoparticles: Strong Effect of the Heating Rate and Melt Dispersion Mechanism. Combustion and Flame, 2009, Vol.  156, No. 2, 543-546.
  
• Levitas V.I. and Altukhova N. Sublimation inside elastoplastic material. Physical Review Letters, 2008, Vol. 101, 145703
• Levitas V.I. and Ozsoy I. B. Micromechanical modeling of stress-induced phase transformations. Part 1 and part 2. Int. J. Plasticity, 2009, Vol. 25, No. 2,  239-280 and No. 3, 546-583.
• Levitas V.I. and Lee D-W. Athermal resistance to an interface motion in phase field theory of microstructure evolution. Physical Review Letters, 2007, Vol. 99, 245701.
• Levitas, V. I., Henson, B. F., Smilowitz, L. B, Zerkle, D. K. and Asay, B. W., Coupled phase transformation, chemical decomposition, and deformation in plastic-bonded explosive. Part 1 and part 2. J. Appl. Physics, 2007, Vol. 102, No. 11, 113502 and 113520.
• Levitas V. I. and Zarechnyy O. M. Plastic flow under compression and shear in rotational diamond anvil cell: Finite - element study. Applied Physics Letters, 2007, Vol.91, No.14, 141919.
• Levitas V. I., Asay B. W., Son S. F. and Pantoya M. Mechanochemical Mechanism for Fast Reaction of Metastable Intermolecular Composites Based on  Dispersion of Liquid Metal. J. Applied Physics, 2007, Vol. 101, 083524 (1-20).
• Levitas V.I., Lee D-W. and Preston D. Phase field theory of surface- and size-induced microstructures. Europhysics Letters, 2006 Vol. 76, No. 1, 81-87.
• Levitas V. I., Henson B. F., Smilowitz L. B, and Asay B. W. Solid-solid phase transformation via internal stress-induced virtual melting, significantly below the melting temperature. Application to HMX energetic crystal. J. Physical Chemistry B, 2006, Vol. 110, No. 20, 10105-10119.
• Levitas V. I., Ma Y., Hashemi J., Holtz M. and Guven N. Strain-induced disorder, phase transformations and transformation induced plasticity in hexagonal boron nitride under compression and shear in a rotational diamond anvil cell: in-situ X-ray diffraction study and modeling. J. Chemical Physics, 2006, 25, 044507, 1-14.
• Idesman A.V., Levitas V.I., Preston D. & Cho J. Finite Element Simulations of Martensitic Phase Transitions and Microstructure Based on Strain Softening Model. J. Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 2005, 53, 495-523.
• Levitas V.I. Crystal-amorphous and crystal-crystal phase transformations via virtual melting. Phys. Review Letters, 2005, Vol. 95, No. 7, 075701.
• Levitas V. I. High Pressure Mechanochemistry: Conceptual Multiscale Theory and Interpretation of Experiments. Phys. Rev. B, 2004, Vol. 70, No. 10, pp. 1-24.
• Levitas V. I., Idesman A.V. & Preston D.L. Microscale simulation of evolution of martensitic microstructure, Phys. Rev. Let., 2004, 93, 105701 (Reproduced in Virtual J. Nanoscale Science & Technology, 2004, Sept. 5).
• Levitas V., Henson B., Smilowitz L. & Asay B. Solid-solid phase transformation via virtual melt, significantly below the melting temperature, Phys. Rev. Let., 2004, 92, 235702 (Virt. J. Nanoscale Sci. & Tech., 2004, June 1).