Team
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Chase Hartquist
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
University of Florida
Education
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
Ph.D. STUDENTS
Francis del Campo Melchor
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Southern California
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Universidad Europea de Madrid
Joined in Fall 2026
Research Interests
solid mechanics, fracture, fatigue, polymer physics, artificial intelligence
Skills
MATLAB, ABAQUS, Mechanical Testing, CNC Manufacturing, Cleanroom Fabrication
Sofia Gerasimchuk
Ph.D. Student in Aerospace Engineering
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota
Joined in Fall 2026
Research Interests
solid mechanics, fracture, fatigue, experimental mechanics, structural characterization
Skills
MATLAB, Mechanical Testing, Digital Image Correlation, Computer-Aided Design
M.S. STUDENTS
Gabriel Ayoubi
M.S. Student in Mechanical Engineering
B.S. in Computer Science, University of Florida
Joined in Fall 2025
Research Interests
artificial intelligence, machine learning, mechanics, controls, optimization, automation, dynamics
Skills
PyTorch, MATLAB, HuggingFace, X-ray scattering
Joined: Fall 2025
B.S. STUDENTS
Sanketh Challagulla
B.S. Student in Mechanical Engineering
Joined in Fall 2025
Research Interests
solid mechanics, fracture, computational mechanics, medical devices, biotechnology
Skills
MATLAB, Mechanical Testing
Cara Connolly
B.S. Student in Mechanical Engineering
Joined in Fall 2025
Research Interests
solid mechanics, fracture, soft materials, elastomers, experimental mechanics
Skills
SolidWorks, MATLAB, Mechanical Testing, Technical Writing, PowerBI/Excel, Manufacturing
Angela Almuhasib
B.S. Student in Mechanical Engineering
Joined in Spring 2026
Research Interests
solid mechanics, soft materials, biomechanics, medical devices, biotechnology
Skills
MATLAB, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Excel, Mechanical Testing, Characterization, Manufacturing
James Basallo
B.S. Student in Mechanical Engineering
Joined in Spring 2026
Research Interests
solid mechanics, soft materials, biomechanics, biotechnology
Skills
Solidworks, MATLAB, Mechanical Testing, LabVIEW
Delaney English
B.S. Student in Mechanical Engineering
Joined in Spring 2026
Research Interests
soft materials, polymer physics, machine learning, structural characterization
Skills
MATLAB, Python, Data Analysis and Visualization, CAD/3D Modeling (SolidWorks)