Dr. John Foster: Q&A
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August 21, 2014
Dr. John Foster joins the department this fall as an assistant professor. He has already built an impressive resume, which includes innovative and applicable research, excellent teaching skills and a pilot’s license.
He has a strong vision for what he hopes to accomplish in the department that will propel UT PGE forward. Learn more about Dr. Foster through our question and answer session.
1/ What is your educational and professional background?
I have a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. Prior to starting my academic career, I was a staff member at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico for seven years. I then moved to The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) as an assistant professor in mechanical engineering, where I was for three years before joining UT PGE.
2/ Why did you choose UT PGE as your next career move?
Two years ago, UT PGE Professor Mukul Sharma and I wrote a Department of Energy proposal together to develop a new generation of computer simulation tools to model hydraulic fracturing processes based on the peridynamic theory of solid mechanics (a generalized theory of continuum mechanics originated at Sandia that has shown great success in modeling complex fracture problems). The proposal was funded in October 2012 and since that time I made many trips to Austin to collaborate with Professor Sharma and his research group. During these collaborative visits, I came to know the high-quality of students UT PGE was attracting as well as the many interesting mechanics problems that the petroleum industry faces. The access to excellent students and interesting problems of high societal impact led me to pursue an opportunity to join the faculty.
3/ What do you hope to achieve in the department?
Because of my unique background and experience in using high-performance computing (HPC) to solve complex mechanics problems while at Sandia, I hope to bring this knowledge-base to the UT PGE students through instruction that will give them the confidence to tackle large-scale problems efficiently and with confidence using HPC. I hope to soon offer a course on "HPC for Engineers" as I have for the last three years at UTSA. Additionally, I hope to collaborate with the many excellent faculty at UT Austin on problems involving fracture mechanics, geomechanics, anomalous transport processes, and assist in HPC simulation code development efforts. In the long-term, I'd like to lead a joint industry program (JIP) focusing on one or more of these areas targeting applications of interest to the energy industry.
4/ What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
Professionally (a caveat any father must make...), I believe my greatest accomplishment has been to become a respected leader in the growing field of peridynamics research. Several of my papers on this subject are among the most cited and I am regularly called upon for my expertise in this area. This is an exciting and growing field that unifies generalized continuum and fracture mechanics theories and has the promise to explain and predictively simulate many complexities associated with pervasive crack propagation.
5/ What are your passions and hobbies outside of the lab?
As a husband and father of two young children, most of my time away from work involves family. I do enjoy spending time at the lake with family and friends, traveling, and although, I have not been too active lately, I am also a private pilot and hope to be able to spend a little more time flying in the future.
