Dr. Sagapuram focuses his teaching and research in advanced structural materials, materials processing, manufacturing and tribology. Specific topics of interest include mechanics of large-strain plasticity, plastic flow instabilities, localization and failure mechanisms with application to cutting and metal deformation processes; and process mechanics-structure-property relationships in lightweight alloy systems. His group integrates analytical and computational models with high-speed imaging, image analysis and other in-situ experimental tools to understand physical mechanisms that govern material deformation and process mechanics at micro to macro length-scales.