Marco Alfano, PhD

Marco Alfano is a Professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo, where he was an Associate Professor from 2019 to 2023.

His research centers on the mechanics of solids and layered structures, particularly composite materials and adhesively bonded joints. Recently, he has focused on the relationship between manufacturing processes and structural performance, employing a balanced methodology that integrates analytical, computational, and experimental approaches in fracture mechanics.

Marco serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology (since 2014), the International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives (since 2018), and IOP Materials Research Express (since 2022). He has also been an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Materials since 2022.

In addition to his research, Marco leads training programs designed to equip students with the skills necessary for both fundamental and industry-relevant research in analytical and experimental mechanics. His students receive thorough training in critical areas such as mechanics of materials, fracture mechanics, and adhesion science, fostering expertise in both experimental and analytical methods while emphasizing the strengths and limitations of each.

His research has been supported by national and international funding bodies, including the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Ontario Research Fund – Research Infrastructure.

• Adhesive Bonding
• Deformation & Fracture
• Finite Element Modeling
• Mechanical Characterization
• Mechanics of interfaces & Adhesion
• Surface Modification of Metals and Composites
• Architected materials & interfaces

• 2007, Doctorate Materials and Structures, University of Calabria, Italy
• 2002, Laurea Mechanical Engineering, University of Calabria, Italy

• Marco was awarded the Fulbright Research Scholarship in 2009. His research on modeling interfacial fracture with potential-based cohesive models was carried out at University of Illinois (Urbana)

• Morano, C., Terasaki, N., Gao, T., Lubineau, G., Alfano, M., Snap-through Crack Propagation in Architected Bonded Interfaces Analyzed Using a Mechanoluminescent SAO/E Coating, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 15, 34, 40887–40897, 2023
• Tao R., Li X., Yudhanto A., Alfano M., and Lubineau G., Toughening adhesive joints through crack path engineering using integrated polyamide wires, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 106954, 158, 2022.
• Frascio M., Mandolfino C., Moroni F., Jilich M., Lagazzo A., Pizzorni M., Bergonzi L., Morano C., Alfano M., and Avalle M., Appraisal of surface preparation in adhesive bonding of additive manufactured substrates, International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, 106, 2021.
• Morano C., Zavattieri P., and Alfano M., Tuning energy dissipation in damage tolerant bio-inspired interfaces, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 127, 2020.
• Moghaddam, A.S., Alfano, M., Thermoelastic analysis of surface cracks in FGMs hollow cylinders using the interaction energy integral method, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 202, pp. 103-115, 2018.
• Canal, L.P., Alfano, M., Botsis, J., A multi-scale based cohesive zone model for the analysis of thickness scaling effect in fiber bridging, Composites Science and Technology, 139, pp. 90-98, 2017.