Walter Lacarbonara
Walter Lacarbonara is an Italian engineer and academic specializing in nonlinear dynamics, structural mechanics, and mechanical metamaterials. He is a Full Professor of Structural Engineering at Sapienza University of Rome.
He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Nonlinear Dynamics and has been involved in the organization of international conferences in nonlinear dynamics, including the International Nonlinear Dynamics Conference series.
Early life and education
Lacarbonara was born in Italy in 1968. He obtained a Laurea in Structural Engineering from Sapienza University of Rome in 1993. He subsequently completed a Master of Science in Engineering Mechanics and a Ph.D. in Structural Engineering through a joint academic program between Sapienza University of Rome and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, under the supervision of Giuseppe Rega and Ali H. Nayfeh.Academic career
Lacarbonara joined the Engineering faculty of Sapienza University of Rome, where he later became Full Professor of Structural Mechanics. He has held visiting research appointments at international institutions, including Stanford University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Tsukuba in Japan.Research
Lacarbonara’s research focuses on nonlinear phenomena in structures and mechanical systems, including nonlinear vibrations, stability, reduced-order modeling, and vibration mitigation devices, addressing both theoretical and applied aspects of nonlinear structural mechanics. His research has also addressed mechanical metamaterials, hysteretic damping mechanisms, and nonlinear vibration absorbers and isolators, with applications to civil, mechanical, and aerospace engineering systems.Publications
Lacarbonara has authored more than 140 peer-reviewed journal articles and 150 conference papers. He is the author of the monograph Nonlinear Structural Mechanics: Theory, Dynamical Phenomena, and Modeling, published by Springer in 2013.Reception
The monograph Nonlinear Structural Mechanics: Theory, Dynamical Phenomena, and Modeling received scholarly reviews in several international journals, including Meccanica and the Journal of Sound and Vibration.In Mathematical Reviews, Justin Thomas Webster described the book as a comprehensive reference for modern nonlinear structural mechanics, suitable for both professionals and graduate students, noting its coverage of theoretical background, computational methods, and parametric investigations of nonlinear phenomena.
Editorial and professional service
Lacarbonara has served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Nonlinear Dynamics since 2017 and has participated in editorial activities for journals in mechanics and applied mathematics.He has been involved in the organization of international scientific conferences in nonlinear dynamics, including NODYCON.