Horacio Espinosa

Horacio D. Espinosa
Born
Horacio Dante Espinosa
Alma materNational University of the Northeast
Polytechnic University of Milan
Brown University
Known forMicro- and nanoscale mechanics, in situ nanomechanical testing, mechanics of biomaterials and metamaterials, cell engineering technologies
AwardsMember, National Academy of Engineering
Fellow, National Academy of Inventors
ASME Thurston Lecture Award
ASME Drucker Medal
SES Prager Medal
Scientific career
FieldsSolid mechanics
Materials science
Nanotechnology
Biomedical engineering
WorkplacesNorthwestern University
Purdue University
Thesis Micromechanics of the Dynamic Response of Ceramics and Ceramic Composites  (1992)
Rodney J. Clifton
Michael Ortiz

Horacio D. Espinosa is an Argentine-American engineer and academic at Northwestern University. He is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Mechanical Engineering and directs the university's Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (TAM) Program. His research spans nanomechanics, bio-inspired materials, metamaterials, experimental mechanics, and cellular engineering. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2020 and named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in 2024.

Early Life and Education

Espinosa was born in Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina. He received his civil engineering degree from the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste in 1981. After working as a structural engineer in Argentina, he earned a M.Sc. in Structural Engineering from Politecnico di Milano (1987), followed by a M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics (1990) and a Ph.D. in Solid Mechanics (1992) from Brown University.[1][2]

Academic career

Espinosa began his academic career as an assistant professor at Purdue University in 1992, where he was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1998.[3] He joined Northwestern University in 2000. He is also a co-founder and director of Northwestern University's Institute for Cellular Engineering Technologies (iCET), established in 2015.[4]

Espinosa is the founder of Infinitesimal LLC, a Northwestern University spin-off company focused on microfluidic platforms for single-cell manipulation and analysis.[5][6] The company has received U.S. government Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) funding and collaborates with academic and industrial partners.[7][8]

Research

At Northwestern, Espinosa leads the Micro and Nanomechanics Laboratory. His group is known for developing MEMS-based platforms for the in situ mechanical characterization of materials at the micro- and nanoscale, for studies of the fracture and toughness of two-dimensional materials, and for localized electroporation methods used in single-cell engineering.

Professional services

Espinosa has held a number of leadership and editorial roles in professional societies and academic initiatives. He served as President of the Society of Engineering Science (SES) in 2012.[9] He was Chair of the U.S. National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (USNC/TAM) from 2022 to 2024.[10] He has also served as a delegate to the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) General Assembly.[11]

Honors and Awards

References

  1. ↑ "Engineering the Future: How Horacio Espinosa is Revolutionizing Medicine and Material Science". Brown University.
  2. ↑ "Engineering alumnus Horacio Espinosa elected to the NAE". Brown University.
  3. ↑ "Purdue faculty members earn promotions". Purdue.edu.
  4. ↑ "Message from the Directors". ICET.
  5. ↑ "Infinitesimal LLC". Northwestern University.
  6. ↑ "Espinosa, Sargent Named to National Academy of Inventors". Northwestern Engineering.
  7. ↑ "SBIR/STTR Portfolio". SBIR.
  8. ↑ "Leveraging AI to work with cells". Phys.org.
  9. ↑ "Past Presidents". Society of Engineering Science.
  10. ↑ "U.S. National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics". National Academies.
  11. ↑ "U.S. National Committee for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (USNC/TAM)". Nationalacademies.org.
  12. ↑ "NSF awards fund seven young faculty members". Purdue.edu.
  13. ↑ "Fellows". American Academy of Mechanics.
  14. ↑ "ASME Fellows" (PDF). ASME.
  15. ↑ "SEM Fellows". Society for Experimental Mechanics.
  16. ↑ "S. Nemat-Nasser". Society for Experimental Mechanics.
  17. ↑ "AAAS Council Elects 388 New AAAS Fellows". AAAS.
  18. ↑ "Robert Henry Thurston Lecture Award". American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
  19. ↑ "Murray Medal". Society for Experimental Mechanics.
  20. ↑ "William Prager Medal". Society of Engineering Science.
  21. ↑ "Espinosa Horacio Dante". Academy of Europe.
  22. ↑ "National Academy of Engineering Elects 86 Members and 18 International Members". NAE.
  23. ↑ "Daniel C. Drucker Medal". ASME.
  24. ↑ "2024 Fellows List" (PDF). National Academy of Inventors.
  25. ↑ "Horace Mann Medal | Graduate School". Brown.edu. 29 April 2025.
  26. ↑ "Η Ακαδημία Αθηνών εξέλεξε ως Αντεπιστέλλον Μέλος της τον Καθηγητή του Πανεπιστημίου Northwestern των ΗΠΑ, κ. Horacio Dante Espinosa". Academy of Athens (in Greek). 29 December 2025.
  27. ↑ "Zdeněk P. Bažant Medal for Failure and Damage Prevention Past Award Winners". ASCE.
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