Jul 13, 2022 | No Comments | By Michelle Pagano
Matt Shaeffer, senior staff engineer with the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute, received the 2022 Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Leadership Award on Monday, July 11, 2022.
The annual Staff Recognition Awards provide WSE with an opportunity to recognize the hardworking and talented staff who advance the school’s mission, demonstrate superior leadership, and motivate and inspire those around them. This year, 27 staff members were nominated for awards recognizing their outstanding service in support of the Whiting School’s educational and research activities.
Matt obtained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2006 from Boston University and his M.S in Applied Biomedical Engineering from the JHU EP program in 2016. Matt is currently the senior staff engineer at the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute (HEMI), where he manages technical staff and develops facilities and programs that perform impact testing on protective materials, geologic materials and biological tissues. This includes the HyFIRE facility where materials can be impacted at speeds up to Mach 20 and the events can be characterized with high-speed imaging, spectroscopy, and flash radiography. He also leads the design of the new AIMD facility to implement AI strategies and high throughput techniques for materials development. Some of the biomechanics work he has done in HEMI include designing and building a small shock tube for dynamic inflation of porcine eyes and the design of a pendulum tester and sensors to evaluate the effects of impacts on the optical nerve in cadaver heads. Prior to working at HEMI, Matt tested construction materials for the National Association of Homebuilders.
This is the second consecutive year that a HEMI staff member has received the Leadership Award.
