Yeqing Wang, Ph.D.

Email: ywang261@syr.edu

Title: Director

Dr. Yeqing Wang is an assistant professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Syracuse University (SU). Prior to SU, he was an assistant professor of Aerospace Engineering at Mississippi State University. He had postdoc research associate appointments at the Air Force Research Lab (Eglin AFB) (advisor: Dr. Crystal L. Pasiliao) and University of Florida (advisor: Dr. David W. Hahn, now Professor and Dean of the College of Engineering at University of Arizona) from August 2016 to July 2018. Dr. Wang received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (2016) and an En-passent M.S. in the same year (2016) from The University of Iowa (advisor: Dr. Olesya I. Zhupanska, now Professor at the University of Arizona). He is a recipient of the 2020 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Award and the Best Paper Award at the 27th American Society for Composites. He is a senior member of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Barry D. Davidson, Ph.D.

Email: bddavids@syr.edu

Title: Director Emeritus

[Google Scholar Citation Record]

Dr. Barry Davidson is an emeritus professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Syracuse University, and directed the SU-CML for 31 years prior to his retirement in 2021. Dr. Davidson’ research interests include delamination growth in laminated composite materials and structures and the durability and damage tolerance of composite structures. He received his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A & M University, M.S. in Aeronautics from California Institute of Technology, and his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Davidson has been a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence (i.e., highest recognition of teaching excellence) at Syracuse University since 1999 until he retired in 2021. He is a recipient of the distinguished Filtertech, Pi Tau Sigma, and Sigma Gamma Tau Award for Excellence in Education in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2019, the ASTM International's Award of Appreciation for Establishing ASTM Test Standard D7905/D7905M “Standard Test Method for Determination of the Mode II Interlaminar Fracture Toughness of Unidirectional Fiber-Reinforced Polymeric Matrix Composites,” in 2016, the National Institute of Aerospace Best Research Publication Award in 2013, and the ASTM International's Wayne W. Stinchcomb Award for Exceptional Contributions to the Field of Composite Materials in 2010 (10th Awardee in History of Award). He is an Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Amirreza Tarafdar (PhD student)

Amirreza received his Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering Applied Mechanics from Tarbiat Modares University (Iran) in 2021 and his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering Applied Mechanics from Isfahan University of Technology (Iran) in 2018. Amirreza joined the Composite Materials Lab in September 2022. His research focuses on the advanced manufacturing of fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites.

Publications (First Authored Journal Articles Only)

1. Tarafdar, A., Zhang, H., Wang, X., Hoe, A. J. Deng, K., Fu, K., Qiao, Q., Hosein, I. D., & Wang, Y. (2025). Efficient Exothermic Press toward Ultrafast and Scalable Manufacturing of Complex Polymer Composites. Advanced Science, e09336. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202509336

2. Tarafdar, A., Lin, W., Naderi, A., Wang, X., Fu, K. K., Hosein, I. D., & Wang, Y. (2024) UV-induced frontal polymerization for optimized in-situ curing of epoxy resin for excellent tensile and flexural properties. Composites Communications, 46, 101832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coco.2024.101832. [PDF]

3. Tarafdar, A., Jia, C., Hu, W., Hosein, I. D., Fu, K. K., & Wang, Y. (2023). Three-dimensional modeling of frontal polymerization for rapid, efficient, and uniform thermoset composites manufacturing. Composites Part B: Engineering, 266, 111029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2023.111029. [PDF]

Andrea Hoe (PhD student)

Andrea Hoe graduated her five-year B. Arch from the School of Architecture of Syracuse University in 2023. She is currently pursuing her PhD degree in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering program in the SU-CML, focusing research on (i) lunar regolith composites for construction on the moon and (ii) porous materials for VOCs adsorption. In her free time, she is part of the dance team XCUSE on campus.

Publications (First Authored Journal Articles Only)

1. Hoe, A. J., Tarafdar, A., Lin, W., Fiske, M. R., Edmunson, J. E., & Wang, Y. (2025). Balancing Strength and Extreme Thermal Resilience in Lunar Regolith Composites: The Role of Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes. Small, 21 (26), 2502220. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202502220.

Haining Zhang (PhD student)

Haining received his Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China) in 2024 and his Bachelor's degree in Aircraft Propulsion from Xiamen University (China) in 2019. Haining joined SU-CML in May 2024. His research focuses on the design and advanced manufacturing of composites.

Ruosi Qiao (PhD student)

Ruosi received her Bachelor's degree in China University of Mining and Technology in June 2024. Ruosi joined SU-CML in August 2024. Her research focuses on composite materials for energy applications.

Undergraduate Student Researchers:

Anirudh Tenneti (REU student majoring in Chemistry from Cornell University sponsored by the "NSF Energy Engine REU", 2025 Summer). Project: Dry processing of composite eletrodes.

Haowei Huang (REU student majoring in Physics from Stony Brook University sponsored by the "NSF Energy Engine REU", 2025 Summer). Project: Development of architectured composite electrodes.

Toby Webber (NSF Sponsored REU student 2025 Summer). Project: 3D Printing of Multifunctional Composites.

Emma Schlagler (REU student majoring in Chemistry from SUNY New Paltz sponsored by the "NSF REU Site: Interactive Biomaterials Program", 2024 Summer). Project: Design and Testing Bio-mimicing Composite Materials for Wearable Devices.

Fatimata Gory (NSF Sponsored REU student 2024 Summer). Project: 3D Printing of Long Continous Thermoset Carbon Fiber Composites.

Parker McMillan (NSF Sponsored REU student 2024 Summer). Project: Frontal Polymerization of Thermoset Fiber Composites.

Cameron Woodbury (NSF Sponsored REU student 2023 Summer). Project: Additive Manufacturing of Thermoset Fiber Composites.

Kanya Shah (NSF Sponsored REU student 2023 Summer). Project: Additive Manufacturing of Thermoset Fiber Composites.

Alyssa Shelburne (SU-MAE Sponsored REU student 2023 Summer). Project: Auxetic Materials for Medical Applications.

Anthony Tricarico (SU-MAE Sponsored REU student 2021 Summer, 2022 Summer). Project: Design of Foldable Carbon Fiber Composite Structures with Tunable Stiffness.

Yiyuan Sun (SU-MAE Sponsored REU student 2022 Summer). Project: Additive Manufacturing of Thermoset Fiber Composites.

Wenhua Lin (PhD student: 2019-2024). Current position: Research Technologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Ali Naderi (MS student: 2022-2024). Current position: PhD student in North Carolina State University.

Yin Fan (Postdoc: 2019-2020). Current position: Tenure-track Associate Professor at Department of Propulsion in School of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Shanghai Jiaotong University (China).

2023

Front row from left to right: Andrea Hoe, Kanya Shah, Yeqing Wang, Juanitta Bekoe, Wenhua Lin.

Back row from left to right: Ali Naderi, Amirreza Tarafdar, Cameron Woodbury.

Front row from left to right: Andrea Hoe, Kanya Shah, Juanitta Bekoe.

Back row from left to right: Cameron Woodbury, Amirreza Tarafdar, Ali Naderi, Yeqing Wang, Wenhua Lin.

Faculty Members