Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2025
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2022
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 2019

Dr. Liu specializes in the fracture-mechanical, thermal, and chemical characterization of mesoscopic materials and their interfaces. As an Associate at Exponent, he leverages his multidisciplinary background, which spans mechanical engineering, materials science and engineering, and chemical engineering, to solve complex engineering problems for clients on proactive and reactive projects. Dr. Liu has extensive experience in several materials characterization techniques such as macroscopic mechanical testing (adhesion testing, DMA, rheology, Instron testing), thin film mechanics (nanoindentation, double cantilever beam), spectroscopy (FTIR, UV-Vis, GCMS), thermal (DSC, TGA), profilometry, and optical microscopy. He has insights that span all materials length scales from microscopic to macroscopic, giving him an informed and balanced point of view that integrates well in cross-functional teams when given the opportunity. Additionally, his prior internship experiences in software engineering make him an adept user of machine learning and A.I. models and multiple programming languages (Java, Python, Bash/UNIX, MATLAB).

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Liu received his Ph.D. from Stanford University where he investigated the degradation mechanisms of solar module polymeric encapsulants that lead to fracture-mechanical failures at their interfaces (glass/encapsulant and cell/encapsulant). He has published multiple journal/conference papers and contributed to open-access materials reliability databases which are valuable to the solar industry for materials selection and design. Finally, he is an experienced communicator, having presented at more than 10 conferences and workshops.