BSc, MSc (Aeronautical Engineering) Cairo University, and MSc, PhD (Aerospace Engineering) Georgia Institute of Technology, PEng

• Professor

Contact Information

Ph: 709-864-3814
Em: satnakhla[at]mun.ca
Office: EN3043

Expertise

Mechanics of Materials

Research Interests

Since joining Memorial, he has introduced three research areas, namely, composite materials analysis and design, multiscale modeling for failure analysis and material degradation and biomechanics with applications in aerospace, mechanical and biomedical engineering.

Personal Profile

Dr. Nakhla earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from Cairo University in 1993. He then spent six years in the software industry (IBM) and civil aviation maintenance planning, during which he also pursued graduate studies. In 1999, he completed a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering at Cairo University. He later continued his academic journey at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he obtained a second Master of Science (2004) and a PhD (2008) in Aerospace Engineering. His doctoral research focused on elastic coupling and hygrothermal stability, with an emphasis on the postbuckling behavior of bistable composites for morphing wings in Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

During his postdoctoral training at Georgia Tech, he broadened his research scope to include biomedical engineering applications. In collaboration with the School of Applied Physiology at Georgia Tech and Emory University School of Medicine, he worked on developing virtual design techniques for patient-specific prosthetic sockets. Additionally, as a member of Georgia Tech’s Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL), he contributed to the development of interactive tools for fan selection in turbofan engine design. His graduate and postdoctoral research at Georgia Tech were supported by scholarships and grants from the American Society for Composites, the Georgia Space Grant Consortium, and the U.S. Office of Naval Research.

Dr. Nakhla joined Memorial University in 2013 and is currently a Professor of Mechanical Engineering with a cross-appointment in the Faculty of Medicine. He leads a research team employing multiscale modeling, from molecular to macro simulations, to study environmental degradation in engineering materials. His work examines hydrogen embrittlement in pipelines, seawater corrosion in aircraft, and aging in composite resins. By integrating multiscale modeling with structural testing and nondestructive evaluation techniques, such as µCT, his team quantifies mechanical behavior and failure onset with high accuracy. His research has also contributed to wrinkling and similitude analyses for model scaling to determine failure onset in large-size sandwich structures. Additionally, his work on optimizing the hygrothermal properties of composites has led to the development of a generalized design approach for UAV morphing wings. His contributions to composite materials research resulted in the development of a novel test fixture for ASTM standards, enabling full-field strain measurements. Further interdisciplinary research integrates medical imaging and engineering tools in healthcare, focusing on the analysis of patient-specific devices and surgery planning. His current research initiatives focus on defects in Additive Manufacturing and their impact on material behavior and failure prediction. To advance quality control and part certification for aerospace applications, he combines AI-driven Design of Experiments (DoE) with multiscale modeling.

During his tenure at Memorial, Dr. Nakhla established industry collaborations with Suncor and Bombardier, securing federal and provincial funding, which led to research collaboration with NASA Goddard and the establishment of research facilities specializing in asset integrity and composite manufacturing.

Dr. Nakhla named his research team the Germain Laboratory for Advanced Structures (GLAS) in honor of Marie-Sophie Germain

Research team: Germain laboratory for Advanced Structures (GLAS)
Colors: Black and Gold

Google Scholar

https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=ccacSCoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Normally hiring graduate students for PhD; (currently no vacancies available; not hiring)

Normally hiring graduate students for Master of Engineering (MEng) and PhD; (currently no vacancies available; not hiring)