Principle Investigator
Marcia A. Cooper — Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering (Affiliated) 
Graduate Students
Muhammad Shafique Noor Azman — PhD Student, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. June 2024-present. BS in Mechanical Engineering (2024), Texas A&M University. Undergraduate Intern: June 2023-May 2024.
Samuel Crawford — PhD Student, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. June 2024-present. BS (2020) and MS (2021) in Chemical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
Jonathan Gruenewald — MS Student, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. August 2025-present. BS in Mechanical Engineering (2024), Texas A&M University. Undergraduate Intern: June 2024-Aug 2025.
Brenden Hepker — MS Student, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. August 2025-present. BS in Mechanical Engineering (2025), New Mexico State University.
Valentina Torres Nieto — MS Student, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. June 2024-present. BS in Mechanical Engineering (2023), University of Texas at Arlington.
Bruce vonNiederhausern — PhD Student, Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University. August 2025-present. BS in Mechanical Engineering (2013), Utah State University and MS in Explosives Engineering (2019), Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Undergraduate Students
Jack Roth — BS Student, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. Army Educational Outreach Program Intern (May-July 2025) and undergraduate intern (August 2025-present).
Ethan Smith — BS Student, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. Army Educational Outreach Program Intern (May-July 2025) and undergraduate intern (August 2025-present).
Alumni and Previous Visitors
Marina Durfey — 2023 O-REU Summer Internship. BS Student, Material Science and Engineering, Boise State University.
Leo Holloway — BS Student, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. October 2023-May 2024.
Kenedee Kordick — BS (2024), Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. Army Educational Outreach Program Intern: June-July 2025.
Sebastian Vazquez Lizárraga — Graduate Researcher, Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University. (September 2022 – August 2023).
Mark E. Luke — MS (2023), Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. August 2021-May 2023. Thesis Title: Polymer-Particle Composite Material Failure Characterization in Quasistatic Compression and Dynamic Impact Regimes.
Sam D. Martin — PhD (2024), Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. August 2021-August 2024. Thesis Title: Calibration of Macroscale Elastic and Frictional Properties of Bonded Particle Grains.
Bryce Miller — MS (2025), BS (2023), Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. Thesis Title: Rate-Dependent Deformation of Thin Metal Foils. Undergraduate Summer Research Grant awardee and undergraduate intern: June 2022-August 2023.
Anthony Park — BS Student, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. June-August 2022.
Katie Teague — MS (2025), BS (2024), Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. Thesis Title: Impact Facility for the Study of Mechanical Metamaterials. Undergraduate Intern: May 2023-May 2024.
Kayla Waswil — BS (2024), Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. Undergraduate Intern: September 2023-March 2024.