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Siavouche (Sia) Nemat-Nasser (born April 14, 1936) came to the United States, from Tehran, Iran, as an undergraduate student in July 1958 and received his B.S. in Engineering from California State University, Sacramento in 1960, and his M.S. in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley in 1961. He then served as Assistant Professor for one year at California State University, Sacramento, before returning to UC Berkeley and finishing his Ph.D. in Engineering in 1964. He then spent two years at Northwestern University, as a postdoctoral fellow and Sr. Research Engineer (1964-1966) before accepting an Assistant Professor position at UC San Diego, where in 1969 he was promoted to tenured Associate Professor. He returned to Northwestern University as Professor of Civil Engineering in 1970.

In 1985 Sia returned to UC San Diego where he is currently Distinguished Professor of Mechanics and Materials in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Director of the Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials (1987 - present). Sia spearheaded the creation of UC San Diego's integrated Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, serving as its Founding Director (1989-1994). He was Co-Director of NSF’s Institute for Mechanics and Materials (1992-1997) and Director (1997-1999). Sia held the John Dove Isaacs Chair in Natural Philosophy (1995-2000); three times selected by the graduating seniors to receive UCSD's Jacobs School of Engineering/MAE Teacher of the Year Award (1994-95, 1996-97 and 2000-01); received the UCSD’s 2005 Faculty Research Lecturer Award; and received Certificate of Recognition-Outstanding Dedication as Faculty Mentor, UC Faculty Mentor Program (2006). Sia teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses and has graduated over 40 Ph.D.’s.

Sia is Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Mechanics of Materials, has edited the book series Mechanics Today, the book series Mechanics of Elastic and Inelastic Solids, and has served and continues to serve on the honorary advisory boards of several international journals. He has authored, co-authored, or edited twenty books and proceedings, including co-authorship of an advanced book entitled "Micromechanics: Overall Properties of Heterogeneous Materials," published by Elsevier Science Publishers, 1st edition 1993, 2nd extended edition 1999. Sia also completed a 730 page advanced book entitled Plasticity: A Treatise on the Finite Deformation of Heterogeneous Inelastic Materials, published by Cambridge University Press, 2004. Sia has published over 430 scientific articles and has presented over 500 lectures and seminars at scientific meetings and at various institutions, thirty of which were plenary or keynote lectures.

Research Interests

Sia’s research integrates experiment, theory, and computation, currently including: multifunctional composites with tunable electromagnetic functionality, thermal management, self-healing, and self-sensing; polyelectrolyte composites as soft actuators/sensors; shape-memory alloys; advanced metals and ceramics; elastomers; and granular materials; and hybrid composites.

Awards, Honors and Recognitions

• Member of the National Academy of Engineering 2001
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers:

In 2008 the ASME Materials Division established ‘The Sia Nemat-Nasser Early Career Medal’ to recognize research excellence in experimental, computational, and theoretical mechanics and materials, by young investigators who are within ten years after receipt of their Ph.D., with special emphasis on under-represented minorities and women. The medal was elevated to a Society award in 2012; Stephen P. Timoshenko Medal 2008; Robert H. Thurston Lecture Award 2006; Honorary Member 2005; Aerosp. Div., Adaptive Struct. & Mater. Systems Best Paper of the Year Award 2003; Nadai Medal 2002; Life Fellow 2001; Chair, Mater. Div. 1997-98; Fellow 1979

• American Society of Civil Engineers:

Theodore von Karman Medal 2008

• Society of Experimental Mechanics:

In 2009 SEM established the ‘Sia Nemat-Nasser Award’ to recognize an individual for distinguished innovative and outstanding work that has realized the impact of experimental mechanics on other scientific and engineering fields through integrated multidisciplinary research. The award was elevated to a medal in 2011, with Sia as its first recipient (2011); M.M. Frocht Award 2012; Fellow 2011; W.M. Murray Medal 2009; B.J. Lazan Award 2007

• Society of Engineering Science:

William Prager Medal 2002; Fellow 1988; Pres. 1979-80

• American Academy of Mechanics:

Pres. 1996-97, Secy. 1989-94, Founding Fellow 1970

• World Innovation Foundation:

Honorary Member 2004; Tech. Institute Willard F. Rockwell Jr. Medal 2003

• Other University Recognitions:

UC Berkeley - Appointed Russell Severance Springer Professor – Fall Semester 2010 Sacramento State University - received the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award