Harish Cherukuri
Professor and Chair
Department of Mechanical Engineering
William E. Baker Endowed Professor
School of Engineering
Education
Ph.D., Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1994
M.S., Montana State University, 1989
B.Tech., Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, 1987
Biography
Harish Cherukuri joined The University of New Mexico in July 2026 as Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and William E. Baker Endowed Professor. He came to UNM from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he was a professor and served as Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science.
His background is in computational mechanics and the dynamic behavior of materials. His research has appeared in journals including the International Journal of Plasticity, the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, and the Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing. He has taught a wide range of courses and has advised and graduated more than 50 M.S. and Ph.D. students.
He brings more than 15 years of administrative experience and a leadership approach grounded in transparency, listening, and service to faculty, staff, and students.
Honors and Awards
- Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award, UNC Charlotte, 2011
- Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Fellow, India, 2010–2011
- Center for Teaching and Learning Faculty Fellow, UNC Charlotte, 2012–2013
- Maxheim Research Fellow, UNC Charlotte, 2002–2003
- Multiple student-nominated teaching awards
Research Interests
- Computational mechanics and finite element methods
- Elastoplasticity and continuum mechanics
- Dynamic behavior of materials
- Manufacturing processes and tool wear
- Particle-based Methods in manufacturing applications
- Machine learning and digital twins for advanced manufacturing