The Advanced Materials Design Group

At The University of Tulsa

About

Our Mission

We seek to understand and develop more durable and sustainable materials, with a focus on materials for load-bearing and heat-resistant applications.

Our Vision

Better materials.
Best graduates.

Our Approach

We work in an integrated cycle of innovation that designs, manufactures, and characterizes materials.

Throughout, we seek fundamental understanding about materials to address critical challenges in aerospace, energy, health, and beyond.

Highlights

  1. In collaboration with the Keller and Ramsurn groups, our paper on the effects of filler size on the curing mechanism of an allyl-functionalized preceramic polymer was accepted for publication in Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry.

    Publisher:doi.org/10.1007/s10973-026-16041-x

    Self-archive:amdg.science/publications/2026-latheef-filler-size-preceramic/

    • publication
  2. In collaboration with the Keller group, our paper on blue light for improved digital image correlation was accepted for publication in Experimental Mechanics.

    Publisher:doi.org/10.1007/s11340-026-01358-3

    Self-archive:amdg.science/publications/2026-schell-blue-light-dic/

    • publication
  3. In collaboration with several teams around the world, our paper on best practices for scanning electron microscope digital image correlation was accepted for publication in Experimental Mechanics.

    Publisher:doi.org/10.1007/s11340-026-01347-6

    Self-archive:amdg.science/publications/2026-tucker-sem-dic-round-robin/

    • publication
  4. Keri Sharp earned her M.S. (ALD fiber coatings for C/SiC ceramic-matrix composites) and is headed to Wilson Sporting Goods in Chicago as a Simulation and Virtual Development Engineer. Congrats, Keri!

    • thesis
  5. In collaboration with the Keller and Ramsurn groups, our data-driven study of preceramic polymers for SiC composites is published in ACS Applied Engineering Materials.

    doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.6c00354

    • publication
Earlier highlights
  1. We are grateful and honored to receive an Office of Naval Research award (Aerospace Materials and Structures) for Coated Powders for Cold Spray, with Christopher Schuh (Northwestern) and Luke Brewer (Alabama).

    • project
  2. Parker Green was awarded a 2026 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Parker is headed to the Colorado School of Mines for a Ph.D. in metallurgical and materials engineering. Congrats, Parker!

    • award
  3. In collaboration with G.RAU Inc., our paper on the microstructural analysis of inclusions in six Nitinol variants is published in Metallography, Microstructure, and Analysis.

    doi.org/10.1007/s13632-026-01325-3

    • publication
  4. In collaboration with the Keller and Ramsurn groups, our paper on the thermal curing of an allyl-functionalized preceramic polymer is published in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society.

    doi.org/10.1111/jace.70559

    • publication
  5. Parker Green took first prize at the M.R. Mitchell Student Presentation Forum at the 23rd International ASTM/ESIS Symposium on Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics in Atlanta. Way to go, Parker!

    www.astm.org/news/nextgen-fatigue-and-fracture-symposium-wise-program

    • award
  6. In collaboration with Keller and Ramsurn groups, our review on hybrid processing for SiC-matrix CMCs is published in Ceramics International.

    Publisher:doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2025.10.067

    Self-archive:amdg.science/publications/2025-porobic-sic-cmc-hybrid-review/

    • publication
  7. Michael Lester defended his M.S. thesis on functionally graded Ti-Nb-Cu alloys by directed energy deposition, and is continuing in the group as a Ph.D. student. Congrats, Michael!

    • thesis
  8. Parker Green took first prize from among 25 students at the Oklahoma Research Day at the Capitol. Well done, Parker!

    utulsa.edu/news/two-utulsa-undergraduates-advance-to-compete-in-2025-research-day-at-the-capitol/

    • award
  9. Our paper on sintered Ti-6Al-4V is published in Experimental Mechanics.

    Publisher:doi.org/10.1007/s11340-025-01178-x

    Self-archive:amdg.science/publications/2025-devine-bmd-ti64/

    • publication
  10. Evan Isbell's Battery Smarts work on public knowledge and habits of charging lithium-ion cells is published in IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society.

    Publisher:doi.org/10.1109/TTS.2025.3546937

    Self-archive:amdg.science/publications/2025-isbell-battery-smarts/

    • publication
  11. In collaboration with Sangid group from Purdue, our paper on transient liquid phase smoothing is published in Materials & Design.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2025.113689

    • publication
  12. Eathan Devine defended his M.S. thesis, The thermal and mechanical properties of an additive-manufactured Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) alloy and a wrought nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy. Eathan is headed to the National Institute for Aviation Research in Wichita to join the R&D group on metal additive manufacturing. Congrats, Eathan!

    • thesis
  13. We received a NASA Oklahoma Research Initiation Grant for Precise Oxide Dispersion via Coated Metal Powders.

    • project
  14. We are grateful and honored to be a part of a team at The University of Tulsa working on a $1.25M project with DoE to understand the effects of blended hydrogen and natural gas on pipeline distribution systems.

    • project
  15. Kendall Yetter defended his M.S. thesis, A Surface Remelting Technique for Smoothing AM Surfaces. Kendall is headed to IperionX to join their R&D group in Salt Lake. Congrats, Kendall!

    • thesis
  16. We are grateful and honored to be a part of a team at The University of Tulsa working on a $1.5M project with AFOSR to build capacity in advanced materials research.

    • project
  17. We are grateful and honored to receive an NSF CAREER award, titled Understanding and controlling the sintering of metal powders with nanoscale additives.

    • project
  18. Nathan Rendon was selected as the winner of the CVID 2023 conference student presentation competition. Well done, Nathan!

    • award
  19. Jackson Habrock was selected as a University of Tulsa 2023 Top 10 Senior. Congrats, Jackson!

    • award
  20. We are grateful and honored to lead a team of researchers for a new first-of-kind in-SEM mechanical testing instrument with unprecedented speed, force, and temperature capacity. The acquisition is supported through an NSF MRI Track 1 award (no. 2320690).

    • project
  21. We are grateful and honored to be a part of a team at the University of Tulsa working on a project titled VR for Smart Installation Experimentation and Security Analysis with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).

    • project
  22. We are grateful and honored to be a part of a NASA 2022 ESI team with Jerard Gordon (PI, Umich), Wenda Tan (Co-PI, Umich), and William LePage (Co-PI, Utulsa). Our project is titled BIG: Building Intelligent Gradients in additively manufactured space engine materials via a multiscale predictive framework.

    • project
  23. Megan Hernadi was selected as a University of Tulsa 2022 Top 10 Freshman. Congrats, Megan!

    • award
  24. Kendall Yetter was selected as the champion in the University of Siegen Science Slam and won a two-week research visit in Siegen in summer 2022, as part of University of Siegen's Pop-Up at Tulsa. Congrats, Kendall!

    • award
  25. We are grateful and honored to be a part of a team at the University of Tulsa working on a project titled Adaptive OT Threat Analysis Technology with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).

    • project
  26. Malia Aurigemma and her "Battery Smarts" project—which builds upon the foundation from Evan Isbell's work—were featured by The University of Tulsa College of Engineering and Natural Sciences.

    • feature
  27. Victoria Tucker defended her M.S. thesis, Interlaboratory Round Robin Study of Errors and Best Practices for Scanning Electron Microscope Digital Image Correlation. She is headed to Purdue with a Ross Fellowship to study superalloys with Mike Titus. Congrats, Victoria!

    • thesis
  28. We are grateful and honored to be selected as one of the Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research FY20 Awards to pursue our work on A New Surface Engineering Approach for Fatigue-Resistant AM Microlattices.

    • project
  29. Evan Isbell was one of 21 students selected from around Oklahoma to present at the 26th annual Research Day at the Capitol. Evan presented his work on Assessing Public Knowledge and Habits of Battery Charging. Congrats, Evan!

    • award
  30. We are grateful and honored to be selected for the 2021 SMST Founders' Grant to pursue our work on Zooming in on Inclusions and Their Role in the Fatigue of NiTi Devices.

    • project
  31. We are grateful and honored to be selected as one of the 2020 Haythornthwaite Research Initiation Grant selections to pursue our work on Seeing Cracks Clearly.

    • project

Active Projects

  • ONR

    Coated Powders for Cold Spray

    Collaborators
    • Christopher Schuh (Northwestern)
    • Luke Brewer (Alabama)
  • DOE

    Utilization of Existing Pipelines in Hydrogen Transport

    Collaborators
    • Cem Sarica (UTulsa, PI)
    • Eduardo Pereyra (UTulsa)
    • Michael Keller (UTulsa)
  • AFOSR

    Capacity Building to Enhance the Understanding of Process, Structure, and Property Relationships of Ultra-High Temperature Materials for Extreme Environments

    Collaborators
    • Hema Ramsurn (UTulsa)
    • Michael Keller (UTulsa)
  • NSF DMR MMN

    CAREER: Understanding and controlling the sintering of metal powders with nanoscale additives

  • NSF CMMI MOMS

    MRI: Acquisition of Compact Mechanical Testing System for Structural, Archaeological, and High-Temperature Materials

    The instrument is open to the research community — see Community Resources below.

    Collaborators
    • Steven Tipton (UTulsa)
    • Michael Keller (UTulsa)
    • Miriam Belmaker (UTulsa)
    • Hema Ramsurn (UTulsa)
Completed Projects
  • NASA ESI

    BIG: Building Intelligent Gradients in additively manufactured space engine materials via a multiscale predictive framework

    Collaborators
    • Jerard Gordon (Umich, PI)
    • Wenda Tan (Umich)
  • ONR

    A New Surface Engineering Approach for Fatigue-Resistant AM Microlattices

    Collaborators
    • Michael Sangid (Purdue)
  • ERDC

    VR for Smart Installation Experimentation and Security Analysis

    Collaborators
    • PI: John Hale (UTulsa)
    • Co-PIs: Sal Aurigemma, Peter Hawrylak, Mauricio Papa, Rose Gamble, Akram Taghavi-Burris, Tyler Moore, Roger Mailler, Ian Riley (UTulsa)
  • ERDC

    Adaptive OT Threat Analysis Technology

    Collaborators
    • PI: Mauricio Papa (UTulsa)
    • Co-PIs: Peter Hawrylak, Rose Gamble, Tyler Moore, John Hale, Cem Sarica, Roger Mailler (UTulsa)
  • SMST

    SMST Founders Grant

  • ASME AMD

    ASME Applied Mechanics Division Haythornthwaite Research Initiation Grant

Sponsors & Partners

Logos of AMDG sponsors and partners: NSF, Office of Naval Research, Department of Energy, NASA, AFOSR, ERDC, SMST (ASM International), ASME, Veeco, Confluent Medical Technologies, the International Digital Image Correlation Society, and The University of Tulsa.

Team

Principal Investigator

  • Portrait of William LePage, Ph.D.

    William LePage, Ph.D.

    Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

    • Ph.D., University of Michigan
    • M.S.E., University of Michigan
    • B.S., University of Tulsa

Graduate Students

  • Jose Martin del Campo

    Co-advised by Dr. Michael Keller

    • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, LeTourneau University
  • Portrait of Michael Lester

    Michael Lester

    • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tulsa
    • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tulsa
  • Portrait of Musamma Akhtar

    Musamma Akhtar

    Co-advised by Dr. Steven Tipton

    • M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University
    • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tulsa
  • Portrait of Nathan Rendon

    Nathan Rendon

    • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tulsa
  • Portrait of Ramona Naghi

    Ramona Naghi

    Co-advised by Dr. Michael Keller

    • M.S.E., Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tulsa
    • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tulsa
  • Portrait of Reuben Kabantiyok

    Reuben Kabantiyok

    • MSc., Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
    • BEng., Metallurgical Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

Undergraduate Students

  • Alex Dininni

  • Jaime Marshall

  • Kalainey Nickel

  • Owen Schwerdtfeger

  • Robinson Ford

Alumni

Postdoctoral Fellows

  • Slavica Porobic (2025–2026)

    Placement: Accepted a position as an Assistant Research Professor at the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences in Belgrade, Serbia

Master's Students

  • Keri Sharp (2026)

    Thesis: Atomic layer deposition for boron nitride fiber coatings for C/SiC ceramic-matrix composites

    Placement: Accepted a position as a Simulation and Virtual Development Engineer at Wilson Sporting Goods in Chicago, Illinois

  • Eathan Devine (2024)

    Thesis: The thermal and mechanical properties of an additive-manufactured Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) alloy and a wrought nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy

    Placement: Accepted a position as a Research Engineer in the Advanced Materials group at the National Institute for Aviation Research in Wichita, Kansas

  • Kendall Yetter (2024)

    Thesis: A Surface Remelting Technique for Smoothing AM Surfaces

    Placement: Accepted a position as a Research Metallurgist at IperionX and their R&D group in Salt Lake City, Utah

  • Victoria Tucker (2021)

    Thesis: Interlaboratory Round Robin Study of Errors and Best Practices for Scanning Electron Microscope Digital Image Correlation

    Placement: Earned a Ross Fellowship for doctoral studies at Purdue University and joined the Ph.D. program in Materials Science at Purdue

Undergraduate Students

  • Amanda Lafrancois
  • Anna Godinez
  • Avery Dodson
  • Ben Blittschau
  • Caleb Freese
  • Caroline Port
  • Diego Tober
  • Drew Dozier
  • Eduardo Pereyra
  • Emily Smith
  • Emma Daharsh
  • Erika Brock
  • Erin Weiss
  • Evan Isbell
  • Gage McCollum
  • Georgia Hilburn
  • Jackson Habrock
  • Jared Hallahan
  • Joshua Brooks
  • Kali Hauther
  • Kyle White
  • Malia Aurigemma
  • Megan Hernadi
  • Nicolas Bendele
  • Orion Levasheff
  • Parker Green
  • Pedro Lugo
  • Rianne Brown
  • Rodolfo Coronado
  • Rose Fontana
  • Sam Dueñas
  • Tait Douglas
  • Tanner Cross
  • Tanner McElroy
  • Teresa Valenzuela
  • Vincent Ume-Ezeoke
  • Will Wheet

TURC Junior Scholars (high school)

  • Curt Schwager
  • Daniel Flores
  • Jameson Griffin

Community Resources

NSF MRI

Psylotech µTS

A compact tensile testing system that can operate inside of a scanning electron microscope, as well as outside with optical microscopes and a 1600°C air furnace. It can pull up to 1.6 kN and can run fatigue tests at tens of Hz and hundreds of N.

The µTS is open for use by anyone in the U.S. research community. To discuss access, contact Prof. William LePage.

Funding: NSF Major Research Instrumentation award no. 2320690.

The Psylotech µTS compact mechanical testing system.
  • digitalimagecorrelation.org

    A practical guide to digital image correlation, written for newcomers. It covers speckle patterning, image capture, calibration, and error validation, and surveys the available open-source DIC software.

  • e2283.app

    Extreme value analysis of inclusion lengths following ASTM E2283. Enter 24 measurements and the app returns a Gumbel fit, for use by the fatigue community.

  • In beta

    PreCureSim

    Simulation of curing and yield for preceramic polymers.

AMDG hosts the following resources for the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the College of Engineering & Computer Science. These resources are available to all University of Tulsa researchers. Contact us to coordinate access, training, etc.

  • Lambo — Forge Nano Prometheus

    Fluidized-bed particle atomic layer deposition reactor for conformal coating of powders and other particulate substrates. Operates at temperatures up to 400°C with a standard vessel fill size of 10–150 mL, includes an integrated quadrupole mass spectrometer for process-gas analysis, and is configured for Al₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ deposition.

    Forge Nano Prometheus fluidized-bed particle ALD reactor with its enclosure, vacuum system, and computer control station.
  • Vigor 2G Argon Glovebox

    Argon glovebox with both internal and inline regenerable organic-solvent traps for handling air- and moisture-sensitive materials. The working enclosure houses a planetary ball mill, stirring hotplate, and balance, enabling powder milling, mixing, heating, and weighing without removing samples from the inert atmosphere.

    AMDG members working at the Vigor 2G argon glovebox, with one member reaching into the gloves to handle a sample.
  • Allied Metallographic Sample Preparation Equipment

    Sectioning, grinding, and polishing equipment for metallographic sample preparation. The suite includes a MetPrep 3x grinder/polisher with a PH-3 power head, two M-Prep 5x grinder/polishers, an 8-inch MultiPrep precision polishing system, a TechCut 4x precision sectioning saw, and a PowerCut 10x abrasive cut-off saw.

    Allied MetPrep 3x grinder/polisher using its PH-3 power head to prepare mounted specimens on a rotating platen.
  • Legolas — Instron ElectroPuls E3000

    Electrodynamic load frame with 3 kN and 100+ Hz capacity. Features closed-loop feedback and auto-tuning with force and strain, along with sample temperature monitoring. Supports pneumatic grips for samples up to 0.25 inch thick or round. Includes a 6000 VA Li-ion battery backup for uninterrupted tests during power outages.

    A student threads a specimen into the grips of the Instron E3000 while a second student looks on.
  • Gimli — Instron 34TM-30

    30 kN electromechanical load frame with extensive and advanced digital image correlation capabilities (stereo or 2D, live strain feedback/control, cross-polarized blue light, and with lenses suitable to samples with gauge section sizes from about 50 microns to 500 mm). Features wedge-action grips suitable for samples up to 0.25 inches thick and 1 inch wide, as well as multiple load cells (10 N, 500 N, 5 kN, and 30 kN).

    Two researchers at the Gimli control station, with live load–displacement data and a DIC image of the specimen on the monitors.
  • Keyence VHX-X1F

    Digital microscope equipped with a ZMT metallurgical lens, polarized illumination, differential image contrast, and 100×, 200×, 400×, and 1000× objectives. Automated stitching combines adjacent fields of view and images captured at different focal depths to produce large-area, fully focused images and 3D surface reconstructions.

    Two students inspect a micrograph on the Keyence digital microscope display.

Publications

  1. Latheef MA, Porobic Katnic S, LePage W, Keller MW, Ramsurn H

    Effects of filler size on the curing mechanism of allyl-functionalized preceramic polymer

    Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (2026)

  2. Schell C, Lester M, LePage W, Keller MW

    Blue Light for Improved Digital Image Correlation

    Experimental Mechanics (2026)

  3. Tucker V, Vermeij T, Montgomery C, Stinville JC, Liu M, Pollock T, Sottos N, Hoefnagels J, LePage W

    Interlaboratory Round-Robin Study of Errors and Best Practices for Scanning Electron Microscope Digital Image Correlation

    Experimental Mechanics (2026)

  4. Porobic Katnic S, Blaiszik B, Naghi R, Ramsurn H, LePage W, Keller MW

    Data-Driven Study of Preceramic Polymers for SiC Composites with Emphasis on Curing Behavior and Ceramic Yield

    ACS Applied Engineering Materials 4, 3242-3257 (2026)

  5. Olima M, Latheef MA, LePage W, Ramsurn H, Keller MW

    Vascular Transpiration in a Carbon-Carbon Composite Leading Edge

    AIAA AVIATION 2026 Forum (2026)

  6. Pelton AR, LePage W, D’Attilio NG, Hempel P, Launey ME, Pelton SM, Saffari P, Ulmer J, Mitchell MR

    Microstructural Analysis of Inclusions in Six Nitinol Variants

    Metallography, Microstructure, and Analysis 15, 661-678 (2026)

  7. Isbell E, LePage W

    Battery Smarts: Assessing Public Knowledge and Habits of Charging Lithium-Ion Cells

    IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society 7, 101-106 (2026)

  8. Porobic Katnic S, Latheef MA, Cinibulk MK, LePage W, Keller MW, Ramsurn H

    Curing Mechanisms of an Allyl-Functionalized Preceramic Polymer With Radical Initiators: Kinetics and Thermodynamics

    Journal of the American Ceramic Society 109 (2026)

  1. Porobic Katnic S, Latheef MA, Sharp K, Naghi R, Olima M, Ramsurn H, LePage W, Keller MW

    Addressing processing limitations in SiC-based ceramic composites: A review of hybrid approaches and perspectives

    Ceramics International 51, 63501-63518 (2025)

  2. Devine E, Lester M, McElroy T, Valenzuela T, LePage W

    Mechanical Characterization of Additive-Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Processed via Bound Metal Deposition

    Experimental Mechanics 65, 573-596 (2025)

  3. Yetter KJ, Jung K, Chuang A, Sangid MD, LePage W

    Surface smoothing for laser powder-bed Ti-6Al-4V by a transient liquid phase

    Materials & Design 251, 113689 (2025)

  1. Rendon N, LePage W

    Observations of Damage and Crack Formation in Nitinol at Inclusions Smaller than the Critical Flaw Size

    International Conference on Shape Memory and Superelastic Technologies (SMST) (2024)

  2. Pelton AR, Launey ME, LePage W, Mitchell MR, Ulmer J

    Crack Formation and Pathways in Nitinol Biomedical Devices

    Procedia Structural Integrity 66, 265-281 (2024)

  1. Rendon N, Daharsh E, LePage W

    Towards understanding the initiation and growth of fatigue failures at defects and inclusions in NiTi

    International Conference on Shape Memory and Superelastic Technologies (SMST) (2022)

  2. LePage W, Chen Y, Poli A, Thouless MD, Dasgupta NP

    Sodium mechanics: effects of temperature, strain rate, and grain rotation and implications for sodium metal batteries

    Extreme Mechanics Letters 52, 101644 (2022)

  1. LePage W, Shaw JA, Daly SH

    Effects of texture on the functional and structural fatigue of a NiTi shape memory alloy

    International Journal of Solids and Structures 221, 150-164 (2021)

Earlier publications
  1. Reedlunn B, LePage W, Daly SH, Shaw JA

    Axial-torsion behavior of superelastic tubes: Part I, proportional isothermal experiments

    International Journal of Solids and Structures 199, 1-35 (2020)

  1. Pelton AR, Pelton SM, Jörn T, Ulmer J, Niedermaier D, Plaskonka K, LePage W, Saffari P, Mitchell MR

    The Quest for Fatigue-Resistant Nitinol for Medical Implants

    ASTM Selected Technical Papers, Fourth Symposium on Fatigue and Fracture of Metallic Medical Materials and Devices, 1-30 (2019)

  2. LePage W, Chen Y, Kazyak E, Chen KH, Sanchez AJ, Poli A, Arruda EM, Thouless MD, Dasgupta NP

    Lithium Mechanics: Roles of Strain Rate and Temperature and Implications for Lithium Metal Batteries

    Journal of The Electrochemical Society 166, A89-A97 (2019)

  1. LePage W, Ahadi A, Lenthe WC, Sun QP, Pollock T, Shaw JA, Daly SH

    Grain size effects on NiTi shape memory alloy fatigue crack growth

    Journal of Materials Research 33, 91-107 (2018)

  1. LePage W, Shaw JA, Daly SH

    Optimum Paint Sequence for Speckle Patterns in Digital Image Correlation

    Experimental Techniques 41, 557-563 (2017)

  1. LePage W, Daly SH, Shaw JA

    Cross Polarization for Improved Digital Image Correlation

    Experimental Mechanics 56, 969-985 (2016)

  1. Sarobol P, Hall A, Miller S, Knight M, LePage W, Sobczak C, Wesolowski D

    Feasibility of preparing patterned molybdenum coatings on bismuth telluride thermoelectric modules

    Sandia National Laboratories, SAND2013-7962 (2013)

  1. LePage W, Hampton KB, Johnson BH, Mayer KJ, Henshaw JM, Purser GH

    Design and Development of a Portable Off-Grid Water Chlorination System

    ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, 525-530 (2011)