Sinan Keten Wins 2026 Zdenek P. Bažant Medal
The award recognizes significant contributions to the field of mechanics
Northwestern Engineering’s Sinan Keten has won an award named for one of his McCormick colleagues.
Keten, Jan and Marcia Achenbach Professor at the McCormick School of Engineering, has won the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ 2026 Zdenek P. Bažant Medal. The incoming chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keten develops theory, molecular and multiscale simulations, and machine learning methods to study the mechanical behavior of soft materials, with a focus on polymeric and biomolecular materials and their composites. By combining advanced computational tools with biological design principles, Keten aims to accelerate the discovery and design of durable, resilient materials for applications in fields such as defense, infrastructure, manufacturing, and therapeutics.
The award was established in 2022 to recognize significant contributions to the field of mechanics through research, practice, teaching, and outstanding leadership. Keten was selected to receive the award for contributions to the study of mechanics and fracture behavior of network materials, including nanoparticle and magneto-elastic granular assemblies, and for continued dedication to engineering education.
“I am honored to receive the ASME award recognizing the contributions of my colleague, Zdeněk Bažant, to the field of mechanics of materials and structures. His work, along with the many insightful discussions we have had, has been a profound source of inspiration for my research in the mechanics of soft materials,” Keten said. “I am deeply grateful that this prestigious recognition also highlights the contributions of my students and collaborators.”
Bažant, the McCormick Institute Professor and Walter P. Murphy Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has made several lasting contributions to solid mechanics, the most impactful being the Bažant size effect law, the crack band model, the microplane constitutive law, the gap test, and the AAEM method for aging creep effects in concrete structures.