About

Dr. Balakumar Balachandran is a distinguished university professor and a faculty member in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland, where he has been since 1993. He holds the title of Minta Martin Professor and is also an affiliate professor in Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computation, and an affiliate member of the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland. His educational background includes a B. Tech in Naval Architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. His research interests encompass nonlinear phenomena, dynamics and vibrations, system identification, and control. Recent research efforts focus on leveraging nonlinear phenomena for system benefits, data-driven nonlinear dynamics, the interplay between noise and nonlinearity, systems with delays, the evolution of disease dynamics, and space-based solutions to address global warming. Dr. Balachandran has authored over a hundred journal publications and several books in applied mathematics, dynamics, vibrations, and nonlinear science, including textbooks published by Wiley, Thomson/Cengage, and Cambridge University Press, as well as a co-edited Springer book. He holds four U.S. patents and one Japan patent related to fiber optic sensors and atomic force microscopy. Dr. Balachandran serves on multiple editorial boards, including the International Journal of Dynamics and Control, Acta Mechanica Sinica, and the Journal of Vibration and Control, and is an associate editor for Nonlinear Theory and its Applications. He has held editorial roles in several prominent journals, including the ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, the AIAA Journal, and the International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics. A fellow of ASME and AIAA, and an honorary fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, he is also a full member of the American Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a senior member of IEEE, and a member of SPIE and the International Society of Nonlinear Dynamics. Dr. Balachandran has served in leadership roles within professional societies, including chairing the ASME Applied Mechanics Division and the Design Engineering Division, and has held various administrative positions within the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Maryland. His numerous awards include the ASME Thomas K. Caughey Dynamics Medal, the AIAA Pendray Aerospace Literature Award, and the ASME Lyapunov Award, among others.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Physics
• Mathematics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Mechanics
• Statistics
• Mathematical analysis
• Biology
• Medicine
• Acoustics
• Engineering

Selected publications

• Nonlinear instabilities and control of drill-string stick-slip vibrations with consideration of state-dependent delay

  Journal of Sound and Vibration · 2020 · 68 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Mathematics
  • Mechanics
  DOI

• Nonlinear Dynamics and Control

  Springer eBooks · 2020 · 52 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science
  • Physics
  DOI

• COVID-19: data-driven dynamics, statistical and distributed delay models, and observations

  Nonlinear Dynamics · 2020 · 48 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science
  • Mathematics
  DOI

Recent grants

• Standing on the Fourth Pillar: Data Enabled Understanding of Flapping Flight

  NSF · $746k · 2012–2017

• CDI-Type II: Unravelling the Complexity of Extreme Waves: A Computational Quest

  NSF · $1.8M · 2011–2017

• CDS&E: Computational and Experimental Studies on Dynamic Interactions With Soft Soil

  NSF · $600k · 2015–2019

• CDS&E: Data-Driven Modeling and Analyses of Extreme Waves

  NSF · $1.1M · 2019–2024

• GOALI/Collaborative Research: Nonlinear Energy Dynamics of Aerodynamically Coupled Oscillators

  NSF · $690k · 2021–2027

Frequent coauthors

• Sergio Preidikman

  Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

  23 shared

• Ali H. Nayfeh

  University of Jordan

  19 shared

• Nicholas Vlajic

  Pennsylvania State University

  14 shared

• Andrew J. Dick

  California State University, Chico

  13 shared

• Timothy Fitzgerald

  Gonzaga University

  12 shared

• Miao Yu

  Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College

  12 shared

• Shapour Azarm

  12 shared

• Thomas Breunung

  University of Maryland, College Park

  11 shared

Education

• Ph.D. (Engineering Mechanics), Engineering Science and Mechanics

  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

  1990

• M.S. (Aerospace Engineering), Aerospace and Ocean Engineering

  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

  1986

• B. Tech (Naval Architecture), Naval Architecture

  Indian Institute of Technology Madras

  1985

Awards & honors

• ASME Thomas K. Caughey Dynamics Medal (2025)
• Honorary Fellow, Royal Aeronautical Society (2024)
• AIAA Pendray Aerospace Literature Award (2023)
• Distinguished University Professor (2022-Present)
• Fellow, Royal Aeronautical Society (2022)

Similar researchers at University of Maryland, College Park

• Sankar Das Sarmah-141
• Arie Kruglanskih-106
• John C. Haltiwangerh-99
• Matthew C. Hansenh-97
• Michel Wedelh-85