Randy H Ewoldt

For More Information

• The Ewoldt Research Group
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Education

• PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009
• MS, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006
• BS, Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, 2004

Academic Positions

• Professor, UIUC, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, August 16, 2021-date
• Kritzer Faculty Scholar, UIUC, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, August 16, 2020-date
• Associate Professor, UIUC, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, August 16, 2017-August 15, 2021
• Guest Professor, ETH Zurich (Switzerland), Department of Materials, January - June 2018
• Assistant Professor, UIUC, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, August 16, 2011-August 15, 2017
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Minnesota, Institute for Mathematics and its Applications & Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, 2009-2011

Research Interests

• Prof. Ewoldt conducts fundamental research in fluid mechanics and rheology of complex fluids motivated by both their unavoidable and opportunistic novel functionality. Work often involves interdisciplinary collaborations and is a combination of experiment and theory. Complex fluids are ubiquitous in nature and in man-made applications and therefore research extends from bioengineering to manufacturing and robotics.

Chapters in Books

• Ewoldt, R.H., M.T. Johnston, and L.M. Caretta, "Experimental challenges of shear rheology: how to avoid bad data," in: S. Spagnolie (Editor), Complex Fluids in Biological Systems, Springer Biological Engineering Series, pp 207-241 (2015). [Topic of a recorded webinar (2016) with >9,000 views]

Selected Articles in Journals

• Hossain, M. T., and R. H. Ewoldt, "Protorheology," Journal of Rheology, 68(1), 113–144 (2024).
• Ewoldt, R. H., and C. Saengow, "Designing complex fluids," Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 54, 413-441(2022).
• Renggli, D., A. Alicke, R. H. Ewoldt, and J. Vermant, "Operating windows for oscillatory interfacial shear rheology," Journal of Rheology, 64 (1), 141-160 (2020). [Journal of Rheology publication award]
• Nelson, A. Z., K. S. Schweizer, B. M. Rauzan, R. G. Nuzzo, J. Vermant, and R. H. Ewoldt, "Designing and transforming yield-stress fluids," Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science, 23 (5), 100758 (2019).
• Chaudhary, G.,A. Ghosh, N.A. Bharadwaj, J.G.Kang, P.V. Braun, K. S. Schweizer, and R. H. Ewoldt, “Thermoresponsive stiffening with microgel particles in a semiflexible fibrin network,” Macromolecules, 52 (8), 3029-3041 (2019).
• Martinetti, L., O. Carey-De La Torre, K. S. Schweizer, and R. H. Ewoldt, "Inferring the Nonlinear Mechanisms of a Reversible Network," Macromolecules, 51 (21), 8772–8789 (2018).
• Martinetti, L., J. M. Soulages, and R. H. Ewoldt, "Continuous relaxation spectra for constitutive models in medium-amplitude oscillatory shear," Journal of Rheology, 62(5), 1271-1298 (2018).
• Lee, Y. H., J. K. Schuh, R. H. Ewoldt, and J. T. Allison, "Enhancing full-film lubrication performance via arbitrary surface texture design," Journal of Mechanical Design, 139(5), 053401 (2017). [2017 Journal of Mechanical Design Editors' Choice Award - Honorable Mention]
• Freund, J. B. and R. H. Ewoldt, "Quantitative rheological model selection: good fits versus credible models using Bayesian inference," Journal of Rheology, 59(3), 667-701 (2015).
• Ewoldt, R. H. and N. A. Bharadwaj, “Low-dimensional intrinsic material functions for nonlinear viscoelasticity,” Rheologica Acta, 52(3), 201-219 (2013).
• Celli, J. P., B. S. Turner, N. H. Afdahl, S. Keates, I. Ghiran, C. Kelly, R. H. Ewoldt, G. H. McKinley, P. So, S. Erramilli, and R. Bansil, “Helicobacter Pylori Moves Through Mucus by Reducing Mucin Viscoelasticity,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106 (34), 14321-14326, 2009.
• Ewoldt, R. H., A. E. Hosoi, and G.H. McKinley, “New Measures for Characterizing Nonlinear Viscoelasticity in Large Amplitude Oscillatory Shear,” Journal of Rheology 52(6), 1427-1458, 2008. [highest number of citations among all articles published in Journal of Rheology 1999-2022]

Professional Societies

• Member, The Society of Rheology
• Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
• Member, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
• Member, American Physical Society (APS)

Teaching Honors

• Included in "List of Teachers Ranked As Excellent By Their Students," 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• Five-Year Alumni Effective Teaching Award, MechSE Alumni, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2022
• Two-Year Alumni Effective Teaching Award, MechSE Alumni, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2021
• Two-Year Alumni Effective Teaching Award, MechSE Alumni, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2020
• Five-Year Alumni Effective Teaching Award, MechSE Alumni, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2019
• Collins Award for Innovative Teaching, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2018
• Two-Year Alumni Effective Teaching Award, MechSE Alumni, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2017
• Rose Award for Teaching Excellence, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2015

Research Honors

• Journal of Rheology Publication Award 2021: for the best paper published in the Journal of Rheology during the preceding two years
• Dean's Award for Excellence in Research for Associate Professor, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2021
• Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering (PECASE), 2017
• Dean's Award for Research Excellence, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2016
• Arthur B. Metzner Early Career Award, The Society of Rheology, 2014
• NSF-CAREER Award, 2014
• 3M Nontenured Faculty Award, 2014
• DuPont Young Professor Award, 2014
• ASME Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal, 2013
• Doctoral New Investigator Award, American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, 2013
• Distinguished Young Rheologist Award, TA Instruments, 2013
• Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, Institute for Mathematics and its Applications, University of Minnesota, 2009-2011 (2009-2011)
• Luis de Florez Award for Outstanding Ingenuity and Creativity, M.I.T., 2009

Other Honors

• Campus Distinguished Promotion Award, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2021
• Outstanding Advising Award, Engineering Council, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2019
• Campus Distinguished Promotion Award, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2017