Rate My Professor Patrick Schelling

Patrick Schelling is an Associate Professor in the Physics department at the University of Central Florida. He received his BS in Physics from the University of Minnesota in 1992 and his PhD in Physics from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, in 1999. After completing his doctorate, Dr. Schelling worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Materials Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory from 1999 to 2001. He then served as a Visiting Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory and the Institute for Nanotechnology in Karlsruhe from 2001 to 2003. In 2003, he joined the University of Central Florida as an Assistant Professor, advancing to Associate Professor in 2009. He is also affiliated with the Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center.

Dr. Schelling's research in computational physics utilizes molecular-dynamics simulations with empirical potentials and density-functional theory to model electron, mass, and heat transport in materials. His investigations focus on interactions and dissipation at interfaces, with applications in materials science and planetary science. He addresses thermal properties of semiconductors to tackle challenges in thermal transport essential for device lifetime and functionality. Key publications include the highly cited "Comparison of atomic-level simulation methods for computing thermal conductivity" (Physical Review B, 2002), "Phonon wave-packet dynamics at semiconductor interfaces by molecular-dynamics simulation" (Applied Physics Letters, 2002), "Managing heat for electronics" (Materials Today, 2005), "Kapitza conductance and phonon scattering at grain boundaries by simulation" (Journal of Applied Physics, 2004), and "Thermal expansion of carbon structures" (Physical Review B, 2003). Recent works feature "Dissipation and adhesion hysteresis between (010) forsterite surfaces using molecular-dynamics simulation and the Jarzynski equality" (Computational Materials Science, 2022) and "Physical mechanism of the Soret effect in binary Lennard-Jones liquids elucidated with thermal-response calculations" (Journal of Chemical Physics, 2023). His contributions have advanced understanding of nanoscale thermal transport. Dr. Schelling co-founded and presided over the Florida Society for Materials Simulation during 2006-2007 and 2010-2011, enhancing regional research collaboration. His group recently examines mineral evolution in planetary contexts, linking surface chemistry and defects to dissipation in grain collisions relevant to planet formation.