Patrick Underhill, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been elected to serve as a representative on the U.S. National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (USNC/TAM). He was elected to this position because of his accomplishments in the area of fluid mechanics.

Underhill’s research focuses on complex fluids, which are materials in which microstructures — objects that are larger than a single atom, but smaller than the entire system — affect the behavior of a larger system. He uses experimental, theoretical, and computational methods to understand microstructure interactions in both new materials and naturally occurring materials.

The USNC/TAM represents the United States in both national and international activities that relate to the science of mechanics. The committee is part of the Board on International Scientific Organizations which is run by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.