Samar Malek, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering Department
United States Naval Academy
590 Holloway Road
Annapolis, MD 21402-5042
410 293 6528
[email protected]

EDUCATION
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012
    Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    Doctor of Philosophy, Structures and Materials
    Dissertation: "The Effect of Geometry and Topology on the Mechanics of Grid Shells"

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007
    Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    Master of Science, Structures and Materials
    Thesis: "A study of the dynamics of shells with boundary layers and the MITC3 shell element"

Johns Hopkins University, 2002
    Department of Civil Engineering
    Bachelors of Science with Departmental and General Honors, Structures
    Minor: Mathematical Sciences

RESEARCH AREAS
High-performing Shell Structures
Active Bending and Gridshells
Biomimicry in Architecture and Structural Engineering
Computational Methods and Geometry

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Associate Professor, U.S. Naval Academy, (Aug. 2019 - present
Assistant Professor, U.S. Naval Academy, (Aug. 2014-Aug. 2019)
Part-Time Teaching Fellow, University of Bath, (Sept. 2012-June 2013)
Visiting Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Spring 2010)
Structural Engineer, Thornton Tomasetti, (2008)
Civil Engineer, Naval Surface Warfare Center, (May 2004-Aug. 2005)

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

• DeVries, L.D., Luznik, L. & Malek, S. Modeling, system identification, and friction compensation of an actuator system for heave and surge wave energy converter experiments. J. Ocean Eng. Mar. Energy (2024). 
• Malek, S., Ryan, C. and Slager, J. A comparative analysis of 3d printed gridshell structures using finite element models and experimental load-deflection tests in the Proceedings of the IASS Annual Symposium 2024 Redefining the Art of Structural Design August 26-30, 2024, Zurich Switzerland Philippe Block, Giulia Boller, Catherine DeWolf, Jacqueline Pauli, Walter Kaufmann (eds.)
• Imhoff, T., and Malek, S., Is there a case for gridshell structures in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts? Journal of Humanitarian Engineering, Vol. 9 (1), July 19, 2024.
• Malek, S., and Williams, C. (2014). Corrugated plate and shell structures. Nexus Network Journal: Architecture and Mathematics. Under Review.
• Malek, S., Wierzbicki, T., and Ochsendorf, J. (2014). Buckling of spherical cap gridshells: A numerical and analytical study revisiting the concept of equivalent continuum. Engineering Structures, 75 pp.288-298.
• Aish, F., Joyce, S., Malek, S., and Williams, C. (2014). The use of a particle method for the modelling of isotropic membrane stress for the form-finding of shell and fabric structures. Computer-Aided Design, Available online 10 February 2014.
• Adriaenssens, S., Malek, S., Miki, M., and Williams, C. (2013). Generating smooth curves in 3 dimensions by minimizing higher order strain energy measures. International Journal of Space Structures, 28 (3-4) pp. 119-126.

AWARDS

• Marshall-Sherfield Fellowship, 2012
  Post-doctorate fellowship awarded to one American scientist or engineer by the Marshall Commission.

• MIT Martin Family Society of Fellows for Sustainability, 2011
  MIT fellowship for graduate level research, education, and collaboration in sustainability.
  
  
• MIT Graduate Student Council Teaching Award, 2008
  Awarded to one professor or teaching assistant for excellence in teaching a graduate level course; recipient for the MIT School of Engineering.