Rate My Professor Sergei Khakalo

Sergei Khakalo serves as Assistant Professor of Structural Mechanics in the Department of Civil Engineering at Aalto University, within the Structures – Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation group. His academic background includes a doctoral degree from Aalto University in 2017, with the dissertation titled 'Strain gradient continuum mechanics: simplified models, variational formulations and isogeometric analysis with applications,' supervised by Jarkko Niiranen. Khakalo's research specializations encompass applied mechanics and mathematics, finite element methods and isogeometric analysis (FEM & IGA), generalized continuum mechanics, and mechanical metamaterials. His work addresses size-dependent behaviors in materials and structures, from nano- to macro-scales, including strain gradient elasticity models for lattices, shells, beams, and plates. Career highlights include contributions to projects such as 'Isogeometric adaptive methods for thin-walled structures' since 2013 and principal investigator roles in 'SuperWood - Khakalo T21400: Structurally more efficient engineered wood from optimized geometrical configurations and improved wood microstructure' (2024–2028) and 'TexTerials: Refined fibers from wasted textiles for high performance long-lasting materials' (2025–2027).