Fani Derveni is an Assistant Professor in Cornell Civil and Environmental Engineering, where she joined in August 2025. Her research group, the Scalable MetaStructures Laboratory, focuses on the mechanics of multiSCALE mechanical metamaterials toward sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Prior to this, she was a Postdoctoral Associate in Mechanical Engineering at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. Dr. Derveni holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Structural Engineering and Mechanics from University of Massachusetts Amherst (2019 and 2021, respectively). She obtained her diploma in Civil Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (2017), and spent six months as an exchange student at Cracow University of Technology, Poland.

Beyond the world of engineering mechanics, she enjoys running marathons, skiing, hiking, salsa/bachata, and traveling.

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Andrew Sandberg is a 3rd-year undergraduate Architecture student whose research seeks to turn scientific innovation into tangible solutions for climate resilience. His work is multifaceted across different labs on campus, dabbling in 3D concrete printing, robotic sensing, and thin-shell bistable structures. His primary goal is to develop Class II Lunar and Martian habitats while adapting the same technologies to support vulnerable populations on Earth, as climate change threatens to leave some parts of the world uninhabitable. 

Beyond the lab, he enjoys swimming, woodworking, hiking, and running.

We are a growing and interdisciplinary team, and we are looking forward to welcoming you in our group!

Please see the Contact page for more information on how to join us.