John Magliaro

John Magliaro is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He held NSERC CGS-M/D and OGS competitive scholarships while earning his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Windsor (completed in 2021). His dissertation research considered analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations of a novel class of lightweight sacrificial energy absorbers which can actively modify/adapt their geometries for improved occupant safety. His research interests involve the engineering design, experimental testing and modelling of lightweight structures for structural crashworthiness and wear resistance applications. The scope of his current research projects has expanded from lightweight metallics (Al and Mg alloys) to include the deformation/damage mechanisms, rate effects and energy absorbing potential of cellular plastics, long fibre thermoplastics, compounded metallic/polymeric structures and dual phase steels. John has also completed several collaborative projects with industrial partners to solve practical engineering problems in the transportation and manufacturing sectors. His teaching experience includes the development and delivery of 8 university courses, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, with course topics including dynamics, thermofluids, mechanics of materials, materials science and engineering, finite element analysis and tribology.

• Crashworthiness

• Lightweighting

• Impact mechanics and testing

• Finite element analysis

• Aluminum and magnesium alloys

• Materials characterization

• Cutting, trimming and shearing processes

• Tool wear and erosion

• 2021, Doctorate, Mechanical Engineering, University of Windsor, Canada

• 2016, Bachelor's, Mechanical Engineering, University of Windsor, Canada

• 2023 Outstanding Postdoctoral Research Fellow Award, University of Windsor

• 2021/22 Proteus Innovation Award, University of Western Ontario

• Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME)

• Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)

• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

• ME 322 - Mechanical Design 1
  • Taught in 2025, 2026
• ME 559 - Finite Element Methods
  • Taught in 2024, 2025, 2026

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Sandhu M, Tiamiyu A, Magliaro J. 2026. Simulation of rebound, flattening, and surface penetration regimes in high-velocity microparticle impacts using smoothed particle hydrodynamics. Journal of Dynamic Behavior of Materials, [Accepted]

• Magliaro J, Behtash AMK, Alpas AT. 2025. Formability limits and fracture mechanisms in AA5182 Al-Mg sheets under room and cryogenic temperature conditions. Materials Science and Engineering A, 936, 148388

• Magliaro J, Papini M. 2025. Streamlined numerical modeling of solid particle impacts and erosion using a fully Eulerian technique: An experimentally validated comparison to Lagrangian and meshfree methods. Wear, 570, 205918

• Yao F, Joshi M, Bland-Rothgeb M, Cripton P, Cronin D, Magliaro J. 2025. Mechanical and material heterogeneity, strain localization and deformation rate effects in crushable expanded polystyrene foams. Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering, 11, 1718011

• Rahimidehgolan F, Mohammadkhani P, Magliaro J, Altenhof W. 2024. Experimental and phenomenological investigations on the strain rate sensitivity of rigid PVC foams at strain rates of 0.005 s− 1 to 600 s− 1. European Journal of Mechanics A/Solids, 104, 105212

• Mohammadkhani P, Khapra T, Rahimidehgolan F, Magliaro J, Altenhof W. 2024. Simultaneous influence of strain rate and moisture on the anisotropic mechanical behavior of direct compounded compression molded PA6/Glass LFTs. Materials Today Communications, 39, 108993

• Magliaro J, Rahimidehgolan F, Altenhof W, Alpas AT. 2023. Superior energy dissipation mechanisms compounded within composite AA6061/PVC foam structures. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, 238, 107843

• Magliaro J, Cui Z, Shirzadian S, Green DE, Altenhof W, Alpas AT. 2023. Evaluating wear-induced edge quality degradation in trimmed DP980 steel sheets from in situ force response monitoring. Wear, 524-525, 204792

• Mohammadkhani P, Magliaro J, Rahimidehgolan F, Khapra T, Altenhof W. 2023. Experimental investigation on moisture effect and anisotropic behavior of direct compounded compression molded PA6/Glass LFT. Composites Part B: Engineering, 264, 110927

• Rahimidehgolan F, Magliaro J, Altenhof W. 2023. Influence of specimen profile size and thickness on the dynamic compressive behavior of rigid PVC foams. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 179, 104676