Mechanics & Computation Group | In Memoriam

Juan C. Simo

Juan Carlos Simo (1952-1994) was an extraordinary contributor to engineering, and an electrifying influence on all, from senior colleagues to students, in a lifespan cut short by cancer. Juan became an internationally renowned expert on computational mechanics, a synthesis of physical insight, computer technology and advanced mathematical methods which have wide application in engineering analysis.

After earning a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a master's degree in business administration in Spain, Juan continued his graduate studies at the University of California in Berkeley as a Fulbright Scholar. There he received a Ph.D. in civil engineering in 1982. Juan taught graduate courses at Berkeley and Stanford before being appointed assistant professor at Stanford in 1985. Juan received the Presidential Young Investigator's Award in 1987 and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1990 and to full professor in 1993. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Chairman of the Applied Mechanics Division. In 1994 Juan received the Humboldt Prize from the Alexander von Humboldt foundation.

By the time Juan came to Stanford he had already made fundamental progress on computational approaches to problems of solids and structures undergoing inelastic deformations and, in the process, he had established himself as a star. Juan revitalized a long tradition of activity in the mechanics of inelastic media by developing a graduate sequence in Theoretical and Computational Inelasticity which became his signature course. It is generally conceded that Juan took the subject to a new level and he will long be remembered for the body of work he produced in this field.

Simultaneously, Juan did outstanding work in a number of other areas. He had an abiding interest in structural theories and nonlinear continuum mechanics. He developed formulations for nonlinear rods, beams, plates and shells undergoing large overall motions. As with all his work, he created excitement and presented results that attracted tremendous interest. Nonlinear beam formulations that would be applied to rather mundane, technical problems by most engineering researchers were used by Juan with tremendous flair and wit to simulate "flying spaghetti." Later he focused on models for shell intersections and asymptotic methods for nonlinear shells. Notable was his realization that the Christoffel symbols need never be calculated for shell computation.

Despite his propensity for hard work with little time wasted for sleep, Juan was very human. He loved parties, good food and wine, and baroque music. He loved speed with an edge of danger. As a young man in Spain, he ran with the bulls in Pamplona. He maintained a pilot's license, and, one day after wiping out his motorcycle, he bought a new one with more power.

Juan died in 1994, at the age of 42, leaving us a legacy of some eighty publications and three books, that continue to be highly cited. One can only guess at the marvels he would have produced had he been able to continue.

In 2010, the Mechanics and Computation Group established the annual Juan C. Simo Thesis Award, to be given to the best PhD thesis in the Group each year, to commemorate Simo's life and contributions.

Stephen Timoshenko

Stephen Timoshenko (1878-1972) was a renowned expert, teacher and writer widely regarded as “the father of applied mechanics” in the U.S. So great was his influence that his active years in the field became known as “the Timoshenko era.”

Professor Timoshenko came to Stanford in 1936 and stayed for the next two decades. He authored 13 popular and influential textbooks; the best known of these, Strength of Materials, was first published in Russia in 1911. His Engineering Mechanics text was translated into over 10 languages. At Stanford he formed the Division of Applied Mechanics and assembled an internationally famous faculty that served as a magnet to students and scholars who came from all over the United States and the world. He received many honors and awards including elected membership in the Royal Society of London; the U.S. National Academy of Science; and the French Academy of Science, and numerous honorary doctor's degrees and medals.

In 1957 the American Society of Mechanical Engineers established the Timoshenko Medal. It is conferred in recognition of distinguished contributions to the field of applied mechanics and honors Stephen Timoshenko as a world-renowned authority in applied mechanics and commemorates his contributions as author and teacher. He was the first recipient and the citation for his medal noted that “he guided a new era in applied mechanics.”

Professor Timoshenko donated his medals and his personal library, including an extensive collection of old and rare books on mechanics, science, and engineering, to Stanford University; the collection is housed in the library's Timoshenko Room. 

The Mechanics and Computation Group named their main conference room in his honor; the room features a portrait of Timoshenko. 

Professor Timoshenko’s seminal contributions live on as foundational knowledge in the Group's teaching and research.

Timoshenko Lecturers

Timoshenko Postdoctoral Scholars

The Stephen Timoshenko Legacy

kburns 12/12/2025