Assistant Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics

Research focus
Structural mechanics and optimization, architected materials, morphing structures, origami, wave propagation

Education
Ph.D. Space Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 2021
M.S. Multiphysics and Multiscale Modeling of Materials and Structures, École Polytechnique, 2018
M.S. Space Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 2017
B.S. Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2016

Charles Dorn will join Aeronautics & Astronautics this winter from ETH Zurich, where he was a postdoctoral fellow and researched the relationship between metamaterials, mechanical waves and ray tracing in the Mechanics & Materials Laboratory.

Dorn’s research focuses on the mechanics, dynamics and design of structures ranging from origami-inspired structures to mechanical metamaterials. His work develops new concepts in active and programmable structures to advance applications in space engineering, robotics, electronics and beyond. He has received awards including the ETH Zurich postdoctoral fellowship and an R&D 100 award.