John O. Hallquist

John  Hallquist
  • PhD Mechanical Engineering 1974
  • MS Engineering Mechanics 1972

John Hallquist earned his B.S. in Industrial Engineering, magna cum laude, from Western Michigan University in 1970. He received an M.S. degree in Engineering Mechanics from Michigan Tech in 1972. He continued his advanced education from Michigan Tech and earned a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics in 1974. John joined the weapons laboratory at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) after receiving his degrees from Michigan Tech. During the next fifteen years he worked on mathematical models that predict the effectiveness of bombs. While at Livermore he developed a massive finite element program called LLNL DYNA 3D that modeled collisions and explosions.

In 1987 John left his civil service career and founded Livermore Software Technology Corporation (LSTC), a firm that produces world-class computational mechanics software. He also developed the following large computer programs: DYNA2D; NIKE3D and NIKE2 which are implicit finite element codes; INGRID, a mesh generator for DYNA and NIKE; and ORION, a post processor for DYNA and NIKE. Today software developers at LSTC continue to develop LLNL DYNA 3D's successor, LS-DYNA, an advanced multi-physics simulation code that can be used to solve a variety of problems. This simulation software is used in applications that include bioprosthetic heart value operations, auto crashes and earthquake engineering. LSTC's customer base is worldwide and diversified, and the LS-DYNA family analysis tools are used for a wide variety of applications. Its customers include many industry leaders in the automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, metals, electronics, construction, defense and consumer products industries. John is a member of the ASM International Golden Gate Chapter. He was a keynote panel member at the 2000 ANSYS Users Conference discussing the "Future Directions in Engineering Simulation".

From 2001 Induction to the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Academy