Gabriel Potirniche, P.E., Ph.D.

• Solid mechanics
• Computational methods
• Fracture, fatigue and creep-fatigue of metals
• Elastic, plastic and creep deformation modeling
• Finite Element Method
• Stress Analysis

Gabriel Potirniche is a professor of mechanical engineering and the associate dean of the College of Engineering at University of Idaho. Potirniche received his doctorate from Mississippi State University in 2003 and joined University of Idaho in 2007 as an assistant professor. Between 2020 and 2023 he was the chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department.

As Associate Dean, Potirniche focuses primarily on academic affairs while also assuming active roles in promoting research activities, participating in outreach initiatives, and fostering connections with external stakeholders. Additionally, he works alongside college faculty and staff in building multidisciplinary collaborations across the university campus.

Potirniche teaches engineering mechanics courses on several topics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. His research expertise is developing mathematical and computational models of material behaviors, such as elasticity, plasticity, creep, damage, fatigue, and fracture. He also developed models for other physical phenomena such as high-rate mechanical impacts and thermoelectricity.

Potirniche is a licensed professional engineer in Idaho and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He has published over 70 book chapters and technical papers in journals and conference proceedings. He and his students have presented at national and international conferences. His interdisciplinary research has been funded by the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, Micron Technology, Murdock Charitable Trust, Alcoa Technical Center, and II-VI Foundation.

• J. Ramirez, G. P. Potirniche, N. Shaber, R. Stephens, I. Charit, Experimental and computational studies of load ratio effect on fatigue crack growth rates in Alloy 709 at elevated temperatures, Fatigue and Fracture of Materials and Structures, July 3, 2023
  
  
• Arifeen, S., Wolemiwa, V., Nwoke, D., Potirniche, G.P., Elshabini, A., and Barlow, F., A Die Attach Design for Thermoelectric Generator Packages for Automotive Applications, accepted for publication IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology, vol. 11, 1, pp. 134-143, December 2020
  
  
• Shaber, N., Stephens, R., Ramirez, J., Potirniche, G. P., Taylor, M., Charit, I., Pugesek, H., Fatigue and Creep-Fatigue Crack Growth in Alloy 709 at Elevated Temperatures, Materials at High Temperature, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 562-574, Sept. 2019, https://doi.org/10.1080/09603409.2019.1664079
  
  
• Potirniche, G.P. and Barannyk, L.L., A nonlinear finite element model for the performance of nanostructured thermoelectric materials, Energy, vol. 185, pp. 262-273, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2019.07.040
  
  
• Taylor, M., Ramirez, J., Charit, I., Potirniche, G.P., Stephens, R., and Glazoff, M.V., Creep Behavior of Alloy 709 at 700°C, Materials Science and Engineering A, vol. 762, no.5, 138083, Aug. 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2019.138083
  
  
• Ramirez, J., Potirniche, G.P., Taylor, M., Pugesek, H., Stephens, R. and Charit, I., The influence of plasticity-induced crack closure on creep-fatigue crack growth in two heat-resistant steels, International Journal of Fatigue, vol. 125, pp. 291-298, Aug. 2019
  
  
• Potirniche, G.P., A crack closure model for predicting crack growth under creep-fatigue loading, International Journal of Fatigue, vol. 125, pp. 58-71, Aug. 2019
  
  
• Shrestha, T., Basirat, M., Alsagabi, S., Sittihoa, A., Charit, I. and Potirniche, G.P., Creep rupture behavior of welded Grade 91 steel, Materials Science & Engineering A, vol. 669, pp. 75–86, July 2016, doi:10.1016/j.msea.2016.05.065
  
  
• Basirat, M., Shrestha, T., Barranyk, L., Potirniche, G.P. and Charit, I., A creep damage model for high-temperature deformation and failure of 9Cr-1Mo steel weldments, Metals, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 1487-1506, doi:10.3390/met5031487, August 2015
  
  
• Andrews, B. and Potirniche, G.P., Constitutive creep-fatigue crack growth methodology in two steels using a strip yield model, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, vol. 140, pp. 72-91, May 2015
  
  
• Rostamian, M., Johnson, G., Hiruta, M., Potirniche, G.P., Ougouag, A.M., Cogliati, J.J. and Tokuhiro, A., Computational and experimental prediction of dust production in pebble bed reactors – Part I, Nuclear Engineering and Design, vol. 263, pp.500-508, October, 2013
  
  
• Potirniche, G.P., A numerical strip-yield model for the creep crack incubation in steels, Journal of the ASTM International, Selected technical papers STP 1546, vol. 38, pp. 197-214, 2012
  
  
• Basirat, M., Shrestha, T., Potirniche, G.P., Charit, I., Rink, K. A study of the creep behavior of modified 9Cr-1Mo steel using continuum-damage modeling, International Journal of Plasticity, vol. 37, pp. 95-107, 2012
  
  
• Shrestha, T., Basirat, M., Charit, I., Potirniche, G.P, Rink, K.K., Sahaym, U., Creep deformation mechanisms in modified 9Cr-1Mo steel, Journal of Nuclear Materials, vol. 423, pp. 110-119, 2012
  
  
• Shrestha, T., Basirat, M., Charit, I., Potirniche, G.P., Rink, K., Creep studies of modified 9Cr-1Mo steel for very high temperature reactor pressure vessel applications, Ceramic Transactions, Advances in Materials Science for Environmental and Nuclear Technology II, vol. 227, pp. 231-240, 2011
  
  
• Abdelnaby, A.H., Potirniche, G.P., Barlow, F., Poulsen, B., Elshabini, A., Parker, R.,
  Jiang, T., Numerical simulations of a back grinding process for silicon wafers. Ceramic Transactions, Advances and Applications in Electroceramics, vol. 226, pp. 3-12, 2011
  
  
• Potirniche, G.P., Pascu, A., Stillman, D., Lin. T-. L., Wang, P.T., Horstemeyer, M.F., A visco-hyperelastic model for the thermo-mechanical behavior of polymer fibers, International Journal of Damage Mechanics, vol. 20, pp. 1002-1020, 2011
  
  
• Horstemeyer, M. F., Farkas, D., Kim, S., Tang, T., Potirniche, G.P., Nanostructurally small cracks (NSC): Review on atomistic modeling of fatigue, International Journal of Fatigue, vol. 32, pp. 1473-1502, 2010
  
  
• Potirniche, G. P., Horstemeyer, M. F., Ling, X. W., A thermodynamic model of polycrystalline damage with internal state variables, Mechanics of Materials, vol. 39, pp. 941-952, 2007
  
  
• Potirniche, G. P., Horstemeyer, M. F., Gullett, P. M., Jelinek, B., Atomistic modeling of fatigue crack growth and dislocation structuring in FCC single crystals, Proceedings of the Royal Society A, vol. 462, pp. 3707-3731, 2006
  
  
• Johnston, S. R., Potirniche, G. P., Daniewicz, S. R., Horstemeyer, M. F., Three-dimensional finite element simulations of microstructurally small fatigue crack growth in 7075 Aluminum Alloy, Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, vol. 29, pp. 697-605, 2006
  
  
• Potirniche, G. P., Horstemeyer, M. F., On the growth of nanoscale fatigue cracks. Philosophical Magazine Letters, vol. 86, no. 3, pp. 185-193, March 2006
  
  
• Potirniche, G. P., Hearndon, J. L., Horstemeyer, M. F.,Ling, X. W., Lattice orientation effects on void growth and coalescence in fcc single crystals, International Journal of Plasticity, vol. 22, No. 5, pp. 921-942, 2006
  
  
• Potirniche, G. P., Horstemeyer, M. F., Wagner, G. J., Gullett, P. M., A molecular dynamics study of void growth and void coalescence in single crystal nickel, International Journal of Plasticity, vol. 22, no.2, pp. 257-278, Feb. 2006
  
  
• Potirniche, G. P., Horstemeyer, M. F. B. Jelinek, Wagner, G.J., Fatigue damage in nickel and copper nanocrystals, International Journal of Fatigue, vol.27, no. 10-12, pp. 1179-1185, 2005

• Characterization of Creep-Fatigue Crack Growth in Alloy 709 and Prediction of Service Lives in Nuclear Reactor Components, FY 2015 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research, Department of Energy, 2015-2018
• Acquisition of a FEI Scios Electron Microscope, Murdock Charitable Trust, , 2015-2018
• High Speed Digital Package Measurement and Modeling for Next Generation Memory Modules, Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission, Idaho Department of Commerce, 2013
• Acquisition of an Adaptive Computation Server for Support of STEM Research at the University of Idaho, Division of Computer and Network Systems, NSF Major Research Instrumentation, 2012-2015, $300,000
• Packaging of high temperature thermoelectric devices: Assembly methods, II-VI Foundation, 2012–2014
• Prediction and monitoring systems of creep-fracture behavior of 9Cr-1Mo steels for reactor pressure vessels, Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP), Department of Energy, 2009- 2012
• Experimental study and computational simulations of key pebble bed thermo-mechanics issues for design and safety, Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP), Department of Energy, 2009-2012
• An integrated multi-disciplinary microelectronics packaging laboratory, Micron Co. Foundation, 2011-2013
• One- and two-dimensional visco-elastic modeling of polymeric fibers and fabrics, Research project with CAE Corporation, sponsored by the DoD, 2006-2008

• University Mid-Career Faculty Award, University of Idaho, 2015
• Award for Excellence, Alumni Association, University of Idaho, 2009
• Orr Early Career Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Materials Division Awards and Honors Committee, 2007
• Award for Excellence in Multiscale Modeling and Engineering Applications, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, 2005
• Henry O. Fuchs Student Award, Society of Automotive Engineers, Fatigue Design and Evaluation Committee, 2002