A Summer of Research with Undergraduate Researchers

This summer, the Soft Materials Mechanics Laboratory hosted two undergraduate researchers through the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics’ Summer Research Mentorship Program (SRMP). Throughout the program, both students received close, hands-on training from PhD students in the lab and were individually mentored on a personal basis by Prof. Upadhyay. Over 10 weeks of the program, they contributed to active research efforts within the laboratory and developed valuable experimental and analytical skills.

Here is a look at the specific research challenges Luke and Preston tackled during their time with us this summer.

Featured Projects

• High-Strain-Rate Characterization of Soft Tissues

• Researcher: Luke Sosalla

Luke contributed to the laboratory's NSF-funded research on the mechanics of traumatic brain injury by developing experimental methods for characterizing soft tissues under high-rate loading. His project focused on inverse characterization of biological tissue properties by combining dynamic force measurements, high-speed digital image correlation, and finite element modeling.

Working alongside Ph.D. students Nihar Moghe and Siddharth Sriram, Luke helped advance the experimental framework supporting constitutive model development for brain tissue mechanics. In recognition of his outstanding work, he was awarded a UROP Fellowship from the University of Minnesota Office of Undergraduate Research and will continue his research with the lab during the Fall 2026 semester.

• Multiaxial Failure in Soft Materials

• Researcher: Preston Dunn

Preston investigated the failure behavior of soft materials subjected to complex multiaxial loading conditions. His work focused on developing and validating experimental techniques capable of accurately characterizing deformation and failure across multiple loading modes, including combined compression and shear. These measurements are essential for calibrating physics-based constitutive models that predict failure in soft materials.

Building upon the constitutive framework developed by PhD student Yogesh , Preston's research helps extend and experimentally validate the Chandrashekar & Upadhyay model by generating high-quality multiaxial experimental data for broader loading scenarios.

At the conclusion of the program, both students presented their research through departmental poster sessions and oral presentations, showcasing their work to faculty, graduate students, and fellow undergraduate researchers.

More about the SRMP

The Summer Research Mentorship Program (SRMP) in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Minnesota provides undergraduate students with immersive research experiences through close faculty and graduate student mentorship. Participants contribute to cutting-edge research while developing skills in scientific inquiry, experimental methods, and technical communication across disciplines including solid mechanics, biomechanics, and materials science.