Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President

Faculty Spotlight

Alex A. Volinsky

College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department

Undergraduate Degree

Engineering Degree, Moscow State University of Aviation Technology (MATI)

Doctoral Degree

Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota

Previous Post(s)

Motorola, Engineering Materials Senior Staff Member

Selected Published Works

Five most recent publications:

• Book Chapters : Thin Films for Microelectronics and Photonics: Physics, Mechanics, Characterization, and Reliability, D.T. Read and A.A. Volinsky, Chapter 4 in Micro- and Opto-Electronic Materials and Structures: Physics, Mechanics, Design, Reliability, Packaging, Volume 1 Materials Physics / Materials Mechanics, edited by Ephraim Suhir, Ephraim, Y.C. Lee, and C.P. Wong, Springer, New York, pp. 135-180, January, 2007
• Book Chapters : Nanoindentation Methods in Interfacial Fracture Testing, Chapter 13 in Comprehensive Structural Integrity (I. Milne, R.O. Ritchie, B. Karihaloo, Editors-in-Chief), Volume 8: Interfacial and Nanoscale Failure (W.W. Gerberich, W. Yang, editors), A.A. Volinsky, D.F. Bahr, M.D. Kriese, N.R. Moody, W.W. Gerberich, Elsevier 2003
• Moisture Effects on Friction and Wear of Chromium Oxide Coatings, X. Pang, A.A. Volinsky, K. Gao, submitted to Wear, 2007
• Interfacial Microstructure of Chromium Oxide Coatings, X. Pang, K. Gao?, H. Yang, L. Qiao, Y. Wang, A.A. Volinsky, accepted at Advanced Engineering Materials, 2007
• Annealing Effects on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Chromium Oxide Coatings, X. Pang, F. Luo, H. Yanga, Y. Wanga, K. Gao, A.A. Volinsky, submitted to Thin Solid Films, 2006

Area of Specialization / Research

Thin films processing, mechanical properties and characterization. Adhesion and fracture of thin films. Nanoindentation and nanowear. Pattern formation. Irradiated materials properties and X-Ray diffraction.

Current Course Offerings

• Undergrad: Materials Selection in Mechanical Design (Materials II) and Mechanics of Solids
• Graduate: Advanced Materials

How and when did you first become interested in your field of study?

I always wanted to be an engineer. When I was one year old my parents found me on the floor trying to take the wheel off the stroller. Seriously I became interested in engineering in high school. After finishing college I truly learned what the field of materials science and nanotechnology is in graduate school at the University of Minnesota.

What made you decide to pursue a career in higher education?

After several years in industry I realized that being a professor is the best job for me. I enjoy teaching and conducting research, which are the inseparable parts of an academic environment.

Why did you choose to be a part of the academic community at USF?

USF is one of the few universities which are in the growth mode, it has a lot of potential, and thus my impact here can be greater. I want to be a part of USF’s growth and success as a research one university. Tampa’s demographics and location of are also very appealing to me and my family.

What do you enjoy about teaching the students of USF?

I like the fact that there is a mix of students in terms of their maturity level. There are always several students that are working in the field, or come back to school after military service. At the same time there are many students seeking direction from an instructor. Teaching is a responsibility, while it is also a great opportunity to impact people’s lives. I enjoy seeing the results of my teaching. It is very rewarding when students come to you after graduation, and say that the subject is useful to them, and the gained knowledge is applied at work. I try to bring real life examples and industry perspective into the classroom. I believe in the integrated teaching and research approach. It is very encouraging when undergraduate students continue graduate studies at USF.

What do you like about the university community?

It is an open environment that encourages generation of new ideas. There is more freedom to explore the new frontiers of research, being around highly educated people.