Rate My Professor Brian Schuster

Brian Schuster, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Metallurgical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He currently serves as the Graduate Program Director for both the Master of Science in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and the Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering. Schuster holds a B.S. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, earned summa cum laude from UTEP, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2008. Before joining UTEP in 2020, he worked for 19 years as a mechanical engineer at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Maryland. There, he served as the principal investigator for experiments and material characterization in the ARL Essential Research Program on Soldier Protection. Additionally, he was a member of the Dynamic Compression Sector (DCS) Scientific Working Group and the DCS Collaborative Access Team Lead for ARL. Schuster also acted as a visiting scholar in the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

Throughout his career, Schuster has received several prestigious awards from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, including the Award for Analysis in 2018, the Award for Partnership in 2016, and the Director’s Research Award in 2012. He has mentored over two dozen students. His research specializes in material characterization, with notable publications such as "Graded Density Flyer Composites for Hypervelocity Impact Testing" (2022, co-authored with M.R. Medina et al.). Recent presentations include "Development and Characterization of Rigid Polyester Blends for 4D Printing" (2024) and "Determination of Energy Stored in Shape Memory Polymers" (2024). Schuster has secured funding as principal investigator for projects like "HIGH TEMPERATURE CERAMIC MATERIALS" sponsored by Northrop Grumman and "DEVELOPMENT OF ENGINEERED METALLIC COMPOSITES FOR CONTROL OF COMPRESSIVE DEFORMATION AND FAILURE MODES." At UTEP, he teaches courses including Mechanics of Materials (MME 2434), Applied Materials Science & Engineering (MASE 6401), Fracture Mechanics (MME 4333), and supervises graduate theses and dissertations.