Dr. Vermaak leads the Thermostructural Lab at the intersection of mechanics, materials, and design/optimization. Her group uses experimental and computational techniques to address problems of structural and material degradation, durability, and resilience. Her group applies optimization to design materials/structures at various scales. This includes the design and analysis of multifunctional architected materials and structures, especially in the inelastic and finite life domains. Her group is developing unique expertise in inelastic design via shakedown and seeks to harness cyclic plastic behaviors for metals in extreme environments that span aerospace (“aeroplasticity”) to energy applications.