UCSB机械工程系的研究人员正在对固体力学，材料和结构进行广泛的研究-在许多领域中，这些领域处于21世纪技术的最前沿。有几个统一的，相互关联的主题，将教职员工和学生聚集在一起，以成功解决多方面的问题。这样的主题之一就是新材料和先进材料的行为，其中包括：陶瓷，聚合物，金属和金属间复合材料以及金属合金。这些新材料提出了独特的挑战，范围从控制基本流动和断裂过程的缺陷行为的基本特征，到理解复合系统中各个组件的本构行为之间的相互作用，再到描述由微观结构不稳定性引起的损伤演化，复杂的过程，都面临挑战。装载和环境侵害。
Researchers in the Mechanical Engineering Department at UCSB are pursuing a wide range of studies in Solid Mechanics, Materials, and Structures - in many areas that are at the forefront of 21st century technologies. There are several unifying inter-related themes that bring clusters of faculty and students together to successfully solve multifaceted problems. One such theme is the behavior of new and advanced materials, which include: ceramics, polymers, metallic and intermetallic composites as well as metallic alloys. These new materials pose unique challenges which range from a fundamental characterization of the defect behavior controlling basic flow and fracture processes, to understanding the interactions between the constitutive behavior of various components in composite systems, to describing the evolution of damage induced by microstructural instabilities, complex loading and environmental assault. Success requires combining fundamental knowledge of material behavior with novel mechanics analysis methods.