Paul A. Sundaram, Ph.D

Paul A. Sundaram, Ph.D

Professor

Office: L-240
paul.sundaram@upr.edu
T: 787-832-4040 x3719, 3661
http://www.me.uprm.edu/sundaram

 

Education

  • Ph.D.
 The Ohio State University, Ohio, USA, 1988
  • M.S.
 The Ohio State University, Ohio, USA, 1987
  • B.S.
 IIT Varanasi, 1984

 

Background

  • 1997-present
 Professor, tenured, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
  • 2008-present
 Adjunct Professor, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • 2003-2008
 Chairperson, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • 2007
 Summer Faculty Research Fellow, NWSC, Dahlgren, VA
  • 2006
 Summer Faculty Research Fellow, NWSC, Dahlgren, VA
  • 2003
 Summer Faculty Research Fellow, ARL, Aberdeen, MD
  • 2002
 Summer Faculty Research Fellow, ARL, Aberdeen, MD
  • 1998-1999
 Visiting Scientist, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany, Institute für Werkstoffe und Verfahren der Energietecknik
  • 1992-1997
 Associate Professor, tenured in 1995, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • 1989-1992
 Assistant Professor, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • 1996
 Summer Faculty Research Fellow, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois
  • 1984-1988
 Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, Department of Metallurgical Engineering

 

Academic and Professional Leadership

  • American Society for Materials, International
    American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • ASM-Advisory Technical Affairs Committee
  • NSF/GRFP Panel: Materials Science & Engineering (2002-03, 2003-04), Bioengineering (2004-05
  • Golden Key Honour Society, Invited honorary member, 2007
  • Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
  • Colegio de Ingenieros y Agrimensores de Puerto Rico (CIAPR)
  • Member, Technical Editorial Board, Revista de Ingenieria y Competencia, Colombia
  • Reviewer, Revista Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, ColombiaReviewer, Engineering Fracture Mechanics JournalReviewer, Acta BiomaterialiaReviewer, Corrosion ScienceReviewer, IntermetallicsReviewer, Polymer Advanced TechnologiesReviewer, e-PolymersReviewer, Materials Chemistry and PhysicsReviewer, Bioelectrochemistry

Conference Publications

  • Effect of Hydroen on the Elastic Modulus of Gamma Titanium Aluminide, E.C. Herrera, D. Martell, M.C.Ruales, F.A. Just and P.A. Sundaram, Poster, ISSI-3, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, April 27-May2, 2002.
  • Effect of Various Cycling Ratios on the Mechanical and Physical Properties of Recylced PET, H. Cornier-Rios, J. Celorie and P.A. Sundaram, GPEC 2003, SPE Conference, Detroit, Michigan, February 26-27, 2003.
  • Microwave NDE Tool Development and Beta Testing, A.V. Bray, G.R. Schmidt, C.H. Garret and P.A. Sundaram, Tri-Service Corrosion Conference, Las Vegas, November 2003.
  • Biocompatibility Studies of Human Fetal Osteoblast Cells cultured on Gamma Titanium Aluminide, Omayra Rivera-Denizard, Mayra Acosta, Nanette Diffoot-Carlo, Jessamine Hernandez-Muñiz, Aixa Sánchez, Paul Sundaram, ASCB Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 8-12, 2003.
  • Corrosion Evaluation of Titanium Foams for Biomedical Engineering Applications, H.A. Estupiñan, C. Vazquez, I. Uribe Perez and P. Sundaram, NOTIMAT 2005, Cartagena, Colombia, 12-17 September 2005 (in Spanish).
  • Mechanical Properties of Titanium Metallic Foams prepared by Compaction and Sintering of Powders for Biomedical Engineering Applications, H.A. Estupiñan, I. Uribe Perez, A.Z. Diaz, R. Ulloa and P. Sundaram, NOTIMAT 2005, Cartagena, Colombia, 12-17 September 2005 (in Spanish).
  • Tissue Reaction to Gamma TiAl in in vivo rat model, D. Castañeda-Muñoz, P.A. Sundaram, Norman Ramirez, NOTIMAT 2005, Cartagena, Colombia, 12-17 September 2005.
  • Physiological activities of human fetal osteoblast cells cultured on gamma titanium aluminide determined by immunoassays of collagen type I and osteonectin proteins, O. Rivera-Denizard, N. Diffoot- Carlo and P. Sundaram, NOTIMAT 2005, Cartagena, Colombia, 12-17 September 2005.
  • Corrosion Evaluation of Gamma Titanium Aluminide as a Potential Biomaterial, C. Delgado-Alvarado and P. A. Sundaram, NOTIMAT 2005, Cartagena, Colombia, 12-17 September 2005.
  • Biomaterials: History, Development and Prognosis, Keynote Speaker (Invited), PA. Sundaram, NOTIMAT 2005, Cartagena, Colombia, 12-17 September 2005.
  • Criterio de aceptación y deterioro de biomateriales usados en cirugía traumática a partir de técnicas electroquímicas, H.A. Estupiñán, D.Y. Peña, I. Uribe, C. Vázquez, P.A. Sundaram, II Congreso Colombiano de Bioingeniería e Ingenieria Biomédica, 27-28 octubre 2005, Bogota, Colombia (1er premio   entre 356 artículos sometidos).
  • Enhancing multiculturalengineering project skills through international senior design projects: The Harvey Mudd College-University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez experience, M. Trucco, A. Bright, O.E. Ruiz, P.A. Sundaram and L. Morell, ASEE 6th Global Colloquium, Oct. 1-4, 2007, Istanbul, Turkey.
  • Characterization of atmospheric corrosion in Al/Ag lap joints, P. Acevedo-Hurtado, P. A. Sundaram, P. Caceres-Valencia, C. E. Miller and B. Placzankis, 2007 Tri-Service Corrosion Conference, NACE International, Dec. 3-7, 2007, Denver, Colorado.

 

Major Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications

  • Effect of Hydrogen on the Dynamic Elastic Modulus of Gamma Titanium Aluminide, M. Ruales, D. Martell, F. Vazquez, F.A. Just and P.A. Sundaram, J. Alloys and Compounds, Vol. 339 (1-2), pp. 156-161, 2002.
  • Room Temperature Diffusion Coefficient of Hydrogen in Aermet 100 Steel under Galvanostatic Charging Conditions, P.A. Sundaram and D.K. Marble, J. Alloys and Compounds, Vol. 360 (1-2), pp. 90-97, 2003.
  • Process and Properties of Hydride Formed on Gamma Titanium Aluminide during Cathodic Charging, E.C. Herrera, P.A. Sundaram and C. Fountzoulas, J. Alloys and Compounds, 400 (2005), pp. 125-130.
  • Hydrogen Permeation in Gamma Titanium Aluminides, H.A. Estupiñan, I. Uribe Perez and P. A. Sundaram, Corrosion Science 2006;48:4216-4222.
  • Corrosion evaluation of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb (at.%) in Ringer’s solution, C. Delgado-Alvarado and P.A. Sundaram, Acta Biomaterialia 2006;2/6:701-708.
  • Effect of recycling on material properties of glass-filled polyethylene terephthalate, H. Cornier-Rios, P.A. Sundaram, J.T. Celorie, Journal of Polymers and Environment 2007;15:51-56.
  • Biocomaptibilty studies of human fetal osteoblast cells cultured on gamma titanium aluminide, O. Rivera-Denizard, N. Diffoot-Carlo, V. Navas and P.A. Sundaram, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine 2008;19(1):153-8.
  • A study of the corrosion behavior of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb (at.%) in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution and seawater, C. Delgado-Alvarado and P.A. Sundaram, Corrosion Science, 2007;49:3732-3741.
  • Evaluation of atmospheric corrosion in Al/Ag lap joints, P. Acevedo-Hurtado, P. A. Sundaram, P. Caceres- Valencia, E. Fachini, C. E. Miller and B. Placzankis, Corrosion Science, 2008;50:3123-3131.
  • Effect of chitosan on the electrochemical behavior of calcium phosphate coatings, R. Martinez, H.A. Estupiñán, E. Córdoba, D. Peña and P.A. Sundaram, IV Congreso Internacional de Materiales, Sept. 10-14, 2007, Pereira, Colombia. Published in Scientia et Technica, 2007;36:221-226.
  • Effect of a high energy electrical pulse on the dynamic stress-strain behavior of a copper alloy, P.A. Sundaram, M.G. Snow, D.P. Collins, Material Letters, 2008;62:4137-4139.

Awards

  • ONR Summer Faculty Research Fellow, NSWC, Dahlgren, Virginia, 2006, 2007.
  • ARO Summer Faculty Research Fellow, US Army Laboratory, Aberdeen, Maryland.2002, 2003
  • Distinguished Professor Award in Mechanical Engineering, 2001-02.
  • Tuerca Award for Outstanding Professor, Mechanical Engineering 1995-96, 2001-02.
  • Awarded sabbatical leave from the University of Puerto Rico, 1998-99
  • Visiting Scientist, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany, 1998-99.
  • Distinguished Professor Award in Mechanical Engineering, 1995-96
  • Summer Faculty Research Participant, Argonne National Laboratory.
  • Bonus for academic excellence and productivity, 1996, UPR-RUM
  • 1995 Tau Beta Pi University of Puerto Rico Student Chapter Excellence in Education Award for Mechanical Engineering
  • 1994 Tau Beta Pi University of Puerto Rico Student Chapter Excellence in Education Award for Mechanical Engineering
Mechanism of mechanotransduction in connector protein Vinculin under cyclic loads

The connector protein Vinculin is expected to join the actin microfilament and the focal adhesion complex and thus provide mechanical stability to a cell.  Earlier observations have indicated the abdication of this role by Vinculin under prolonged cyclic stimulation resulting in increased cell motility.  The mechanism by which attachment and detachment occur is being studied in the MCF 10A cell line.

Understanding the directionality and increased expression of collagen in the ECM under mechanical stimulus

The deposition of collagen in the ECM is being studied under the application of a mechanical stimulus in murine osteoblasts.  Live cell imaging will be used to determine the mechanism and transport function of collagen vesicles under the effect of varying load applied on the cell substrate.  The goal is to grow collagen fibers in preferred orientation though the application of the appropriate mechanical stimulus.