Johns Hopkins APL’s Kaushik Iyer Named as American Society of Mechanical Engineers Fellow

Kaushik Iyer of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Fellows are the highest elected grade of membership within ASME; the honor recognizes exceptional engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession.

Iyer is a materials physicist in the Space Technologies and Applied Research Group in APL’s Space Exploration Sector. His research spans a number of fields, including hypervelocity impact physics, dynamic material failure, fracture mechanics and contact mechanics, physics-based laser damage modeling, high-energy laser effects on space systems, and components and systems failure analysis. Over the past seven years at APL, Iyer has led the development of a methodology for material and structural specifications that can lessen the damage spacecraft suffer due to solar and interplanetary microdust particles. This methodology has been applied to NASA’s New Horizons, Parker Solar Probe, and upcoming Europa Clipper missions; APL built New Horizons and Parker Solar Probe, and is a partner with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Europa Clipper. Iyer has also published extensively on the fatigue and wear of structural connections in turbine engines, aircraft, and automotive bodies.

“Kaushik’s work in understanding how tiny particles of dust in space can have devastating effects on spacecraft — and how we can better protect against that threat—has been pivotal to the success of our most challenging missions,” said APL’s Mike Ryschkewitsch, head of the Space Exploration Sector. “It’s great to see him receive this well-deserved recognition, and we applaud Kaushik for his successes and insights into materials and their mechanics.”

ASME is a not-for-profit organization of more than 130,000 members in 151 countries that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, career enrichment and skills development across all engineering disciplines. The group’s goal is to assist the global engineering community in developing solutions to benefit lives and livelihoods.