Dr. Alex Krueger is a Senior Engineer at Veryst Engineering. Dr. Krueger’s expertise lies in solid mechanics and material characterization, with specific focus on the mechanical behavior of polymeric materials at high strain-rates, including ballistic impact and shock loading. His work has included characterizing a wide range of material behaviors, including viscoplasticity, viscoelasticity, wave propagation, and fracture mechanics. Dr. Krueger has extensive experience in experimental mechanics from dynamic testing methods including split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) and direct impact experimentation, to methods unique to polymeric materials such as dynamic mechanical analysis, creep, and stress relaxation. His interests include design of custom experimental techniques and methods, performing and interpreting experimental data to characterize materials, and understanding how mechanics can be used to evaluate their performance and failure.
Prior to joining Veryst, Dr. Krueger was a postdoctoral researcher and professor of dynamics at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In his postdoctoral studies, Dr. Krueger focused on the dynamic mechanical response of textiles for parachute deployment applications, including design of custom dynamics fixtures for compliant materials and evaluation of weave and seam dynamics.
Ph.D., Engineering: Solid Mechanics, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2025
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2018
“Correlation between Dynamic Fragility and High Velocity Impact Behavior of Transparent Thermoplastics,” ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 8(10), pp. 7515-7525 [ST1] (with D.F. Schmidt and A.V. Amirkhizi)
“Effect of Strain Rate on the Mechanical Properties of Polycarbonate Processed by Compression and Injection Molding,” Polymer Engineering and Science, 62(1), pp. 174-184 (with F. Ullrich, S.P. Singh, S. McDonald, J. Vera-Sorroche, A.V. Amirkhizi, and D. Masato)
“Study of the Effect of Mold Coating on the Birefringence of Injection-Molded Optical-Quality Polycarbonate,” Polymer Engineering and Science, 66(9), pp. 6290-6303 (with M. Drew, A.V. Amirkhizi, and D. Masato)
“Variability of Mechanical Properties of Parachute Canopy Fabrics Relevent to Deployment,” AIAA Aviation Forum and Ascend 2024, pp. 4517 (with F. Campos, F. Seyhani, P. Drane, J. Sherwood, A. Witkowski, and A.V. Amirkhizi)
“Experimental Methods for Characterizing Interfaces in Multi-Material Adhesive Joints,” Excellence in Manufacturing and Operations (XMO) (with K. Cloherty, D.K. Bhavani, D. Stigliano, C.J. Hansen, A.M. Peterson, and A.V. Amirkhizi)
“Characterization of Shear Behavior in Polymers Using Hat Shaped Geometry,”Society of Experimental Mechanics 2025
“High Strain Rate Flow Behavior of PMMA as a Function of Molecular Weight,” International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exhibition (IMECE) 2024
“Characterization of Adiabatic Heating in Polycarbonate and PMMA as a Function of Rate and Temperature,” Society of Experimental Mechanics 2023
“Analysis of the Thermal Response of Polymers Resulting from High Velocity Impact,” International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exhibition (IMECE) 2022
“Mode Shape Effects on the Measurability of Bragg Scattered Acoustic Signals,” IMAC Modal Conference
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Awardee
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