Farhad Farzbod
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Mississippi
Lab info: i-mechanics.com
Youtube Channel:
Brief Professional Bio:
Farhad Farzbod is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), where he has been a faculty member since Fall 2015.
Prior to joining Ole Miss, Dr. Farzbod was a Research Hardware Engineer at Google[x], the company’s advanced technology lab. At [X], he was involved in the modeling and design of cutting-edge transducers and sensors, including next-generation bone conduction devices, as part of broader efforts to develop future sensor and actuator technologies. He also held a position as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at San José State University.
Earlier in his career, he served as a Postdoctoral Researcher and Associate Engineer at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), one of the 16 U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories. At INL’s Energy & Environment Science and Technology Directorate, he worked on modeling hybrid energy systems using Modelica and other multiphysics platforms, as well as experimental material characterization with laser ultrasound techniques.
Dr. Farzbod’s research spans vibrations, mechatronics, controls, and solid mechanics. His expertise includes wave propagation in periodic media, finite element modeling, sensor and actuator design, smart materials, and ultrasonic techniques.
He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), where he also completed master’s degrees in Mathematics and in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He holds an M.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto and a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tehran.
[View his full CV here.]
Research Thrusts
Acoustic Metamaterials
Our work in acoustic metamaterials focuses on periodic structures whose wave propagation behavior is governed not only by the characteristics of individual unit cells but also by their spatial arrangement and interactions. These engineered materials exhibit remarkable properties such as band gaps, negative effective parameters, and directional sound transmission. Such characteristics make them excellent candidates for advanced acoustic filters and devices capable of sound steering and beam focusing.
Mechatronics: Novel Electromechanical Actuators
We are actively developing innovative actuation technologies using soft materials and liquid metals. Our group has designed and prototyped actuators for valveless pumping systems, omnidirectional acoustic sources, and breathing-mode motors. These efforts have resulted in peer-reviewed publications in ASME Journal and ASME Conference Proceedings. The valveless pump, in particular, has significant promise for biomedical and microfluidic applications due to its scalability and minimal mechanical complexity.
Another thrust of our research involves high-bandwidth, low-loss electroactive polymers (EAPs), including polymer composites with graphene layers. This interdisciplinary project spans collaborations across the Departments of Civil, Chemical, and Mechanical Engineering, aiming to advance actuator performance for use in robotics, adaptive structures, and soft systems.
Material Characterization Using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy
Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) is a non-destructive technique used to determine the elastic and anelastic properties of materials by analyzing their natural resonance frequencies. RUS is particularly well-suited for characterizing anisotropic materials and has shown great potential for high-precision measurement of elastic moduli in monocrystalline and polycrystalline solids.
Despite its advantages, challenges remain—particularly in sensitivity and parameter identifiability for certain materials. We are working to address these limitations to enable more reliable property extraction, especially for applications involving advanced ceramics and ultrahigh-temperature materials. These materials are critical in aerospace and energy systems, including hypersonic vehicles, re-entry systems, and gas turbines. Accurate material characterization is essential for implementing digital twin technology in these domains, enabling virtual inspection, life prediction, and part-specific performance modeling.
...And Other Works
Additional projects are currently underway in our lab and will be made publicly available upon completion and publication. Our research group is committed to the advancement of interdisciplinary, application-driven mechanical engineering solutions.
Teaching
Syllabus of each course that has been taught by me can be found below (by clicking on the course name). There is a website for the Mechatronics course: i-mechatronics.com. A few educational videos are posted on my youtube channel: youtube.com/farzbod
Publications
Patents
- F. Farzbod, J. Dong, “Adaptive piezoelectric array for bone conduction receiver in wearable computers,” US Patent #: 9547175
- F. Farzbod, M.K. Morishita; J. Dong; R. Herr, “Microphone Arranged in Cavity for Enhanced Voice Isolation ,” US Patent #: 9596536
Published Journal Papers
- F. Farzbod and C. Holycross, “Asymptotic Behavior of Resonant Frequencies in Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy,” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 154 (3), pp. 1945-1953, 2023.
- S. Pathak, G. Dangi, and F. Farzbod, “Periodic Structure with Electrostatic Forces: Interactions Beyond the Nearest Neighbor,” Journal of Vibration and Control, https://doi.org/10.1177/10775463231184009, 2023.
- C. Sevigney, O. Scott-Emuakpor, and F. Farzbod, “Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy: Sensitivity Analysis for Anisotropic Materials with Hexagonal Symmetry,” Journal of Vibration and Acoustics-Transactions of the ASME, 144(3), 2022.
- F. Farzbod and O. Scott-Emuakpor, “Interactions beyond nearest neighbors in a periodic structure: Force analysis,” International Journal of Solids and Structures, 199, pp. 203-211, 2020.
- F. Farzbod and O. Scott-Emuakpor, “Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy: Sensitivity Analysis for Isotropic Materials and Anisotropic Materials with Cubic Symmetry,” Journal of Vibration and Acoustics-Transactions of the ASME, 141(2), 2019.
- F. Farzbod, M. Naghdi and P.M. Goggans, “Using Liquid Metal in an Electromechanical Motor with Breathing Mode Motion,” Journal of Vibration and Acoustics-Transactions of the ASME, 141(1), 2019.
- M. Naghdi, F. Farzbod, “Acoustic Nonreciprocity in Coriolis Mean Flow Systems,” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 143 (1), 230-236, 2018.
- F. Farzbod, “Number of Wavevectors for Each Frequency in Dispersion Curves of a Periodic Structure,” Journal of Vibration and Acoustics-Transactions of the ASME, 139(5), 2017.
- F. Farzbod, “Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy for a Sample with Cantilever Boundary Condition Using Rayleigh-Ritz Method,” Journal of Applied Physics, 114(2), 2013.
- J. Reese, Z. N. Utegulov, F. Farzbod, R. S. Schley, and D. H. Hurley, “Examination of the epicentral waveform for laser ultrasound in the melting regime,” Ultrasonics, 53 (3), 2013.
- F. Farzbod and D. H. Hurley, “Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy: Using Eigenmodes to Perform the Inverse Problem Associated with Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy,” IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, 59(11), 2012. this paper was featured on the cover: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6343259
- H. Hurley; S. J. Reese; F. Farzbod, “Application of Laser-based Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy to Study Texture in Copper,” Journal of Applied Physics, 111(5), 2012.
- F. Farzbod and M.J. Leamy, “Analysis of Bloch’s Method in Structures with Energy Dissipation,” Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, 133(5), 2011.
- F. Farzbod and M.J. Leamy, “Analysis of Bloch’s Method and the Propagation Technique in Periodic Structures,” Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, 133(3), 2011.
- F. Farzbod and M.J. Leamy, “The Treatment of Forces in Bloch Analysis,” Journal of Sound and Vibration, 325(3), 2009.
Refereed Conference Papers
- Farzbod, “Long-Range Electrostatic Forces in Periodic Structures: The Development of Adjustable Wave Filters,” 186th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America/Acoustics Week in Canada, Ottawa, Canada, May 2024.
- Farhad Farzbod, Casey Holycross, “Convergence properties of eigenfrequencies in RUS,” 186th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America/Acoustics Week in Canada, Ottawa, Canada, May 2024.
- Farzbod, “Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy: How Much Information Lies in Higher Frequencies,” 183rd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Nashville, Tennessee, Dec 2022.
- Naghdi, F. Farzbod, and P. Goggans, “Flexible Valveless Pump for Bio Applications,” International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2019.
- Goggans, F. Farzbod, M. Naghdi, and D. Waddell1, “Design of a Novel Electrodynamic Vibrotactile Stimulator for Use in MRI,” 2017 Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona, 2017.
- F. Farzbod, MJ Leamy, “Breaking time reversal symmetry with Coriolis mean flow systems,” Invited talk, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 140 (4), 3048-3048, 2016.
- N. Utegulov, F. Farzbod, S. J. Reese, R. S. Schley, and D. H. Hurley,“Localized detection of phase transformation in tungsten using laser ultrasonics,” 18th Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, Boulder, Colorado, June 24 – 29, 2012.
- Hurley, S. Reese, F. Farzbod, R. Kennedy, “Characterization of High Temperature Mechanical Properties Using Laser Ultrasound”, International High Power Laser Ablation Conference, Santa Fe, NM, Apr.30-May 4, 2012.
- F. Farzbod, S. Reese, D. H. Hurley, “Investigating Internal Friction with Laser Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy,” ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Denver, Colorado, Nov. 11-17, 2011.
- F. Farzbod, D. H. Hurley, “Measuring Crystal Orientation by Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy,” IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, Orlando, Florida, Oct. 18-21, 2011.
- F. Farzbod and M.J. Leamy, “Analysis of Bloch’s Method in Structures with Energy Dissipation: 1-D structures”, ASME 2010 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, Vancouver, BC, Nov 12-18, 2010.
- J. Leamy and F. Farzbod, “Multi-Scale Finite Element-Based Phonon Dispersion Calculations: Approach and Application to Carbon Nanotubes,” 10th U.S. National Congress for Computational Mechanics, Columbus, OH, July 16-19, 2009.
- Jastrzebski, T. Dusatko, F. Farzbod and A.N. Sinclair “Enhancement OF Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) by Advanced Signal Processing,” World Conference on NDT, Montreal, Canada, Aug 30 – Sep 3, 2004.
- Honarvar, T. Dusatko, Y. Fan, F. Farzbod, M. Moles and A. Sinclair “A novel signal processing technique for enhancement of time-of-flight diffraction (TOEFD) signals,” International Chemical and Petroleum Industry Inspection Technology (ICPIIT) VIII conference. Houston, 18-21 June 2003
Contact Me
Address:
1764 University Circle,
Room 203
University, MS 38677
farzbod@olemiss.edu