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Education

  • Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, 2005
  • M.S., The Pennsylvania State University, 2002
  • Diplôme d’Ingénieur, MINES ParisTech, 2000

Teaching Interests

Professor Pierron's teaching portfolio encompasses a wide range of fundamental courses at the undergraduate (Statics and Dynamics of Rigid Bodies, Thermodynamics, Mechanical Behavior of Materials) and graduate (Fracture Mechanics, Fatigue of Materials) levels.

Research Interests

Professor Pierron’s research program focuses on the mechanical properties of materials at small scales, with emphasis on their degradation properties (plasticity, fracture and fatigue). The scientific contribution of his research is to understand the fundamental degradation mechanisms of materials and the associated size and environmental effects at the nano- and micro-scales. This knowledge is crucial to assess and improve the reliability of devices and structures for applications in energy, health and security systems. Prof. Pierron and his students investigate these fundamental issues by developing novel experimental micro- and nano-mechanical testing techniques.

Recent Publications

  • S. Stangebye, K. Ding, Y. Zhang, E. Lang, K. Hattar, T. Zhu, J. Kacher, O. Pierron, Direct observation of grain-boundary-migration-assisted radiation damage healing in ultrafine grained gold under mechanical stress, Nano Letters, v 23 n 8 (2023) pp. 3282-3290
  • S. Stangebye, X. Liu, L. Daza-Llanos, Y. Yang, T. Zhu, J. Kacher, O. Pierron, Comparison of electrical sensing and image analysis for in situ TEM nanomechanical testing of thin films, Thin Solid Films, 787 (2023) 140125
  • Q. Li, A. Antoniou, O. Pierron, In situ SEM crack characterization and resistance evolution in cyclically-strained Ag nanoflake-based inks, ACS Applied Nano Materials v7 n 23 (2024) pp. 27173-27184 
  • Y. Yang, K. Ding, X. Liu, T. Zhu, J. Kacher, O. Pierron, In-situ TEM measurement of strain-rate-dependent activation volume in ultrafine grained gold films, Acta Materialia 306 (2026) 121868
  • Y. Yang, K. Ding, T. Zhu, J. Kacher, O. Pierron, The role of grain size distribution on the anomalous yielding of Au thin films, Scripta Materialia 275 (2026) 117178