Brett EllisBrett Ellis, Ph.D., P.E., C.S.S.B.B.

Dr. Brett Ellis, P.E. is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering Technology at the University of Maine and has worked in the mechanical engineering field for ~20 years, with 14 years of industrial experience.  His industrial experience includes open hole testing in the oil and gas industry; failure analysis consulting; and extensive experience in the plastic processing industry, in which he designed plastic preforms and bottles, designed injection- and blow-molding tooling, designed and optimized polymer processing equipment, and led continuous improvement activities (e.g., Lean Six Sigma, SMED, and Gage R&R).  Dr. Ellis’s professional interests include stress analysis, solid mechanics, continuous improvement (e.g., Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma), design, and education.  He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Georgia and Maine, and a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

Dr. Ellis obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in December 2013. During his dissertation work, he developed and implemented a computational materials design framework, which was used to design Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) materials and structures to withstand blast and impact loads. The computational materials design framework consisted of multi-scale Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and inverse design algorithms to determine properties, structures, and processing steps which satisfied specified blast and impact performance criteria.

Publications

  1. B.D. Ellis and D.L. McDowell, “Application-specific computational materials design via multiscale modeling and the Inductive Design Exploration Method (IDEM),” Integr Mater Manuf Innov, vol. 6, pp. 9-35, 2017.
  2. J.A. Lemberg, B.D. Ellis, and E.P. Guyer, “Failure of trunnion axle on a hard suspension multi-axle trailer,” J Fail Anal Preven, vol. 17, pp. 15-22, 2017.
  3. B.D. Ellis, B. DiPaolo, D.L. McDowell, and M. Zhou, “Experimental investigation and multiscale modeling of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete panels subject to blast loading,” Int J Impact Eng, vol. 69, pp. 95-103, 2014.
  4. B.D. Ellis, D.L. McDowell, and M. Zhou, “Simulation of single fiber pullout response with account of fiber morphology,” Cem Conc Comp, vol. 48, pp. 45-52, 2014.

Conference Proceedings

  1. B.D. Ellis and S. Walton, “Implementation of Six Sigma training and certification at the university level.” presented at Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration (CIEC 2017). Jacksonville, FL, Feb. 8–10, 2017.
  2. B.D. Ellis and K.A. Berube, “Teaching engineering design via analysis and design of a pneumatic potato cannon.” presented at Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration (CIEC 2017). Jacksonville, FL, Feb. 8–10, 2017.
  3. B.D. Ellis, M. Zhou, and D.L. McDowell, “Energy dissipation and strength evolution of Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC),” in Proc. of Hipermat 2012 3rd International Symposium on Ultra-High Performance Concrete and Nanotechnology in Construction, Kassel, Germany. March 7-9, 2012. pp. 273-282.
  4. B.D. Ellis, D.L. McDowell, and M. Zhou, “Energy dissipation in Ultra-High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) subjected to rapid loading,” in Proc. of the Conf. of the American Physics Society (APS) Topical Group on Shock Compression of Condensed Matter (SCCM), Chicago, IL. June 26 – July 1, 2011. pp. 1061-1064.

Awards

  • Early Career Teaching Award, University of Maine, College of Engineering, 2016
  • Teaching Faculty of the Year Award, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Maine Alpha Chapter, 2016
  • Outstanding Program Award for “Best Technical Presentation,” American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2013 – 2014
  • Edison Prize Finalist, Georgia Tech Research and Innovation Conference (GTRIC), 2012
  • Presidential Fellowship, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009 – 2013
  • Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Senior, University of Houston, 1997