World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
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Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

D-Index
99
Citations
42265
World Ranking
67
National Ranking
35

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in United States Leader Award
  • 2019 - John von Neumann Medal, U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM) For pioneering and sustained contributions in developing computational methods to elucidate material behavior across length and time scales (atomistic to continuum), development of the quasi-continuum method and authorship of highly cited articles.
  • 2015 - Timoshenko Medal, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • 2013 - Member of the National Academy of Engineering For contributions to computational mechanics to advance the underpinnings of solid mechanics.
  • 2007 - THE BELYTSCHKO MEDAL
  • 2007 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Overview

Michael Ortiz is affiliated with the California Institute of Technology in the United States, focusing primarily on the field of engineering. Their research spans several interconnected subfields, including mechanics of materials, materials chemistry, biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, and statistical and nonlinear physics.

Their work explores a variety of topics, such as model reduction and neural networks, composite material mechanics, numerical methods in engineering, microstructure and mechanical properties, elasticity and material modeling, advanced mathematical modeling in engineering, and ultrasound and hyperthermia applications.

Michael Ortiz has published extensively, with frequent contributions to venues such as arXiv (Cornell University), Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, SSRN Electronic Journal, and bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory).

Key recent papers include:

  • Data-Driven multiscale modeling in mechanics, 2020, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids
  • Data-driven fracture mechanics, 2020, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering
  • Selective ablation of cancer cells with low intensity pulsed ultrasound, 2020, Applied Physics Letters
  • Model-free data-driven computational mechanics enhanced by tensor voting, 2020, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering
  • Finite element solver for data-driven finite strain elasticity, 2021, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering

Michael Ortiz has frequently collaborated with several researchers, including M.P. Ariza, Laurent Stainier, Sergio Conti, Hossein Salahshoor, and José E. Andrade.

Their recognition includes awards such as the John von Neumann Medal from the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics in 2019, acknowledging contributions to computational methods in material behavior across length and time scales. They received the Timoshenko Medal from The American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2015. In 2013, they were elected as a Member of the National Academy of Engineering for advances in computational mechanics related to solid mechanics. Other honors include fellowship in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Belytschko Medal, both awarded in 2007.

Best Publications

  • Computational modelling of impact damage in brittle materials

    G. T. Camacho;M. Ortiz

  • Quasicontinuum analysis of defects in solids

    E. B. Tadmor;M. Ortiz;R. Phillips

  • FINITE-DEFORMATION IRREVERSIBLE COHESIVE ELEMENTS FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL CRACK-PROPAGATION ANALYSIS

    M. Ortiz;A. Pandolfi

  • An analysis of a new class of integration algorithms for elastoplastic constitutive relations

    M. Ortiz;J. C. Simo

  • A constitutive theory for the inelastic behavior of concrete

    Michael Ortiz

  • Accuracy and stability of integration algorithms for elastoplastic constitutive relations

    M. Ortiz;E. P. Popov

  • A unified approach to finite deformation elastoplastic analysis based on the use of hyperelastic constitutive equations

    J.C. Simo;M. Ortiz

  • An adaptive finite element approach to atomic-scale mechanics—the quasicontinuum method

    V.B. Shenoy;R. Miller;E.b. Tadmor;D. Rodney

  • A finite element method for localized failure analysis

    M. Ortiz;Y. Leroy;A. Needleman

  • Subdivision surfaces: a new paradigm for thin-shell finite-element analysis

    Fehmi Cirak;Michael Ortiz;Peter Schröder

  • Data-driven computational mechanics

    Trenton Kirchdoerfer;Michael Ortiz

  • Modelling and simulation of high‐speed machining

    T. D. Marusich;M. Ortiz

  • The variational formulation of viscoplastic constitutive updates

    Michael Ortiz;Laurent Stainier

  • Nonconvex energy minimization and dislocation structures in ductile single crystals

    M. Ortiz;E.a. Repetto

  • Variational integrators and the Newmark algorithm for conservative and dissipative mechanical systems

    C. Kane;J. E. Marsden;M. Ortiz;M. West

  • A Cohesive model of fatigue crack growth

    O. Nguyen;E. A. Repetto;M. Ortiz;R. A. Radovitzky

  • Computational modelling of single crystals

    A M Cuitino;M Ortiz

  • An analysis of the quasicontinuum method

    J. Knap;M. Ortiz

  • Local maximum-entropy approximation schemes : a seamless bridge between finite elements and meshfree methods

    Marino Arroyo;M Ortiz

  • Adaptive Lagrangian modelling of ballistic penetration of metallic targets

    G.T. Camacho;M. Ortiz

  • Quasicontinuum models of interfacial structure and deformation

    V. B. Shenoy;R. Miller;Ellad B Tadmor;R. Phillips

  • Formulation of implicit finite element methods for multiplicative finite deformation plasticity

    B. Moran;M. Ortiz;C. F. Shih

Frequent Co-Authors

Anna Pandolfi
Anna Pandolfi Polytechnic University of Milan
Kaushik Bhattacharya
Kaushik Bhattacharya California Institute of Technology
Sergio Conti
Sergio Conti University of Bonn
Jerrold E. Marsden
Jerrold E. Marsden California Institute of Technology
Alberto M. Cuitiño
Alberto M. Cuitiño Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Ellad B. Tadmor
Ellad B. Tadmor University of Minnesota
Emily A. Carter
Emily A. Carter Princeton University
Ares J. Rosakis
Ares J. Rosakis California Institute of Technology
Timothy Sullivan
Timothy Sullivan University of Canterbury
Houman Owhadi
Houman Owhadi California Institute of Technology

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