Simona Socrate

Dr. Simona Socrate serves as a Senior Lecturer in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering and Principal Research Scientist at MIT/ISN, where she has shaped engineering education for over two decades. After earning PhDs from both the University of Rome in Nuclear Engineering (1991) and MIT in Mechanical Engineering (1995), she has established herself as an expert in structural mechanics and biomechanics. Her research combines materials science with medical applications, focusing on the mechanical behavior of fabrics, composites, and soft biological tissues. Her groundbreaking work includes studying high strain rate properties of biological tissue for injury prevention and investigating pregnancy mechanics to reduce pre-term delivery risks. As an educator, she has innovated teaching methods through online assessments and learning sequences in large introductory engineering classes, demonstrating her commitment to effective pedagogy