Rate My Professor Karen Daniels

Daniels leads the Daniels Lab, which conducts experiments on the non-equilibrium and nonlinear dynamics of granular materials, fluids, gels, and disordered metamaterials, often integrated with theoretical models. This research addresses how failure occurs, non-trivial patterns emerge, and transitions between behavioral classes are controlled, offering insights into biological and geological systems, industrial applications, and climate change responses. Key publications include "Particle Scale Anisotropy Controls Bulk Properties in Sheared Granular Materials" (Physical Review Letters, 2025), "Dilatancy and its coupling to the kinematics in sheared granular media" (Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 2025), "Micromechanics of Compressive and Tensile Forces in Partially Bonded Granular Materials" (Physical Review Letters, 2026), and "Soft matter physics of the ground beneath our feet" (Soft Matter, 2024). She has earned awards such as the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award (2007), LeRoy and Elva Martin Award for Teaching Excellence (2013), Equity for Women Award (2015), American Physical Society Fellowship (2018), American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellowship (2021), and Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship (2023). Daniels previously chaired the American Physical Society Division of Soft Matter, served as Divisional Associate Editor for Physical Review Letters from 2017 to 2023, and currently sits on the Editorial Board of Annual Reviews of Condensed Matter Physics.