The goal of our team is to foster an understanding and improve advanced engineering materials and structures by controlling the composition, structure, and properties from the microscopic to the macroscopic. We employ cutting-edge materials technology such as 3-D printing fabrication, thermochemical processing of self-repairing polymers, nanostructured synthesis of DNA-based biopolymeric human bone, smart shape-memory metal alloys, ceramic organosilicates, and composite metamaterials; as well as utilize optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization, force/load mechanical testing, finite element analysis and forensic failure analyses.