Mathaudhu is an avid comic book and superhero fan who helped create a museum exhibit that combines the real world of materials science and the fictional worlds of comic book heroes, such as Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man and Batman. His research at the Bourns College of Engineering focuses on making lightweight metals and composites stronger and more resistant to wear.
Mathaudhu is the winner of the 2015 AAES Norm Augustine Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Communications, and was recently selected by the National Science Foundation to present “The Science Behind Captain America’s Shield” to more than 350,000 attendees at the USA Science and Engineering Festival, which was held April 16-17 in Washington D.C. View a video from that event and read the transcript of his interview here: http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/12014/The-Engineering-of-Captain-Americas-Shield.aspx