Ruqiang Feng retires after 23 years of service

Ruqiang Feng, professor of mechanical and materials engineering, is retiring from the College of Engineering after 23 years of service. He joined the then-College of Engineering and Technology in 1997 as an assistant professor of engineering mechanics.

He has been honored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the College of Engineering multiple times for his work, including twice receiving the College Faculty Research & Creative Activity Award (2003 assistant professor, 2009 associate professor) and the 2003 Henry Y. Kleinkauf Family Distingtuished New Faculty Teaching Award – Assistant Professor (2003).

Feng has also secured more than $3 million in funding for 25 research projects. Among those were many projects funded by the U.S. Army Research Office, in which his team studied experimental characterization and polycrystal modeling of ceramics under impulsive loadings.

The results, which Feng called “the most significant research contribution of my professional career,” provided insight into the unique inelastic deformation mechanism that gives rise to extremely high compressive strength but diminishing spall strength of polycrystalline ceramics during confined impulsive compression and load reversal to tension. It is a critical issue in the design and optimization of ceramics and ceramic structures for ballistic armor applications.

From 2008-14, Feng participated in the development of a unique blast testing facility in the College to support studies of trauma mechanics under blast wave loading.

“The enormous size of the main shock tube setup we eventually ended up with, the heart-pounding loudness when the shock tube fires, and the unprecedented enthusiasm of my students in the project were all big surprises to me and will stand out in my fond memories of my career in the College,” he said.