Research Society Honors Borg

Dr. Jim Richie (left) presents Sigma Xi Rising Star award to Dr. Borg (right)

The Marquette University Chapter of Sigma Xi selected Dr. John Borg, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, as the recipient of the Rising Star Award. The award recognizes research in sciences, engineering, mathematics and technology performed by a faculty member who has not yet achieved the rank of full professor and whose research has a significant impact on the academic discipline in which it was conducted.

Dr. Borg’s research involves understanding the dynamic behavior of materials under rapid loading conditions, i.e. shock loading. The majority of his research has been focused on understanding the constitutive behavior of granular and/or liquid/granular systems. Specifically, he is developing computational techniques, supported by experimental observation, which bridge the gap between bulk and micro-level material behavior.  The near term goal of this research is to better understand and decouple grain level dynamics (such as grain contact, fracture, void collapse, friction, heating, etc.) when predicting the bulk material behavior when subjected to high-pressure, high-strain rate events. The ultimate goal is to connect continuum mechanics from the molecular to the bulk scale.

Sigma Xi was founded in 1886 to honor excellence in scientific investigation and encourage a sense of companionship and cooperation among researchers in all fields of science and engineering. Today, it is an international, multidisciplinary research society whose programs and activities promote the health of the scientific enterprise and honor scientific achievement. The Marquette Chapter, founded in 1962, currently counts about 120 members, including three lifetime members. About half of the membership is from each of the scientific and engineering departments at Marquette with the other half from the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee School of Engineering, the Zablocki VA Medical Center, and many local firms.