Lawrie Virgin

Lawrie Virgin is a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Duke University. He is former chair of Duke’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and has been a faculty member at Duke since 1988, prior to which he received his Ph.D. from the University College London. Virgin’s research interests are centered on nonlinear mechanics, especially buckling, nonlinear vibration, and their interactions. Applications of his research include ship capsize, aeroelasticity, marine risers, rocking blocks, control, sonic fatigue, solar sails, and the dynamics of slender structures.