Rate My Professor Hongxu Wang

Dr. Hongxu Wang is a Lecturer in the School of Engineering and Technology at UNSW Canberra, University of New South Wales. His research spans impact dynamics, composite materials, protective structures, 3D printed materials, impact testing techniques, finite element modelling, and protection technologies. He specialises in experimental characterisation of materials and structures under high strain-rate loading, with expertise in drop-tower impact testing, Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) experiments, and single-stage and two-stage gas-gun testing. Dr. Wang is open to collaborative research, technical consultation, and customised dynamic-testing services. He teaches courses including ZEIT2504 Mechanics of Solids, ZEIT3500 Engineering Structures, ZEIT4006 Structural Integrity Assessment, and ZEIT4014 Impact Dynamics. Accredited as a Primary Supervisor for PhD students at UNSW, he seeks highly motivated candidates from mechanical engineering, materials engineering, manufacturing engineering, or civil engineering backgrounds.

Recognised among the World's Top 2% Scientists in 2024 and 2025, Dr. Wang contributes significantly to his field through editorial roles, serving as guest editor for special issues such as “Dynamic Behavior of Polymer Composite Materials and Structures, 2nd Edition” in Polymers, “Bio-Inspired Materials and Structures for Impact Resistance and Energy Absorption” in Biomimetics, and “Intelligent, Multifunctional Negative Poisson's ratio/Negative Stiffness Mechanical Metamaterials” in Frontiers in Materials. He was an Early Career Editorial Board Member for Defence Technology from July 2023 to June 2025. His key publications include “Lessons from nature: 3D printed bio-inspired porous structures for impact energy absorption–A review” (Additive Manufacturing, 2022), “High-velocity impact behaviour of aluminium honeycomb sandwich panels with different structural configurations” (International Journal of Impact Engineering, 2018), “On the structural parameters of honeycomb-core sandwich panels against low-velocity impact” (Composites Part B: Engineering, 2021), “Biomimetic armour design strategies for additive manufacturing: A review” (Materials & Design, 2021), and “Enhancing puncture resistance in composite protective structures via bio-inspired carp fish scale-tissue architectures” (Composite Structures, 2026). Dr. Wang's work advances biomimetic designs and high-rate material performance for applications in defence and aerospace.