Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 2014
  • M.S., Teaching, Pace University, 2008
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University, 2005
  • B.A., English, Rutgers University, 2004
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University, 2004
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer, Alabama, #PE40070
  • Professional Engineer, Arkansas, #22036
  • Professional Engineer Mechanical, Arizona, #81668
  • Professional Engineer Mechanical, California, #38065
  • Professional Engineer, Colorado, #PE.0063960
  • Professional Engineer, Connecticut, #PEN.0032929
  • Professional Engineer Mechanical, Massachusetts, #55974
  • Professional Engineer, Michigan, #6201314316
  • Professional Engineer, North Carolina, #059088
  • Professional Engineer, New Jersey, #24GE05661400
  • Professional Engineer, New York, #106663
  • Professional Engineer, Texas, #153574
  • 40-Hour Hazardous Waste Operation and Emergency Response Certification (HAZWOPER)
  • Blasting Certificate of Competency (MA)
  • Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI)
  • Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator (CVFI)
Professional Honors
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2009-2012
Professional Affiliations
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
  • American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
  • National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI)
  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
  • ASTM International
  • Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SPFE)

Dr. Barry specializes in the engineering analysis of thermal and fluid flow systems. He has broad expertise in experimental analysis of flow systems, including bio-fluids, fluid-structure interactions, and microscale flows.  

Dr. Barry applies his expertise to the investigation of fires, equipment failures, and accidents. Dr. Barry has conducted origin and cause investigations involving storage facilities, commercial facilities, residences, and vehicles (automobiles, utility vehicles, lawnmowers).

Dr. Barry conducts investigations into failures of HVAC systems and related equipment in both residential and commercial settings. HVAC-related project work includes overall system design review, kitchen exhaust systems, hydronic systems, packaged and vertical terminal air conditioning units (PTAC/VTAC), chilled beam systems, Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems, duct construction and hangers, piping to HVAC equipment, water losses (due to frozen pipes or component failure), and coordination between design teams and contractors. 

Dr. Barry employs analytical and experimental techniques to assess the risk of burn injury in consumer products such as electronics and household appliances as well as in industrial processes. Dr. Barry is a member of ASTM committees E37 (Thermal Measurements) and C16 (Thermal Insulation), which includes ASTM C1055 Standard Guide for Heated System Surface Conditions that Produce Contact Burn Injuries.

Dr. Barry performs assessments and testing related to the safety of batteries, particularly related to catastrophic failures such as thermal runaway of lithium-ion cells and batteries. He assists clients with issues relating to product and site compliance for grid-scale energy storage systems. He has worked with clients during facility siting proceedings and during discussions with AHJs with respect to product safety during failure events. He has assisted clients in the generation of Hazard Mitigation Analyses (HMAs) in accordance with guidance from NFPA 855 and has assisted in the evaluation of data produced by large-scale fire testing of grid-scale lithium-ion batteries. Dr. Barry has performed testing relevant to the potential hazards developed due to thermal runaway of lithium-ion cells including the measurement of gas quantity and gas species evolved during various abuse conditions, quantifying the explosibility of battery vent gases, as well as involving those measurements in toxicological assessments of the releases during battery failure. Dr. Barry has experience in experimentally measuring the thermal properties of battery cells in order to generate thermal models to assess heat propagation that can affect performance, safety and reliability of battery pack assemblies. Dr. Barry is a member of the standard technical panel for UL 9540 Standard for Energy Storage Systems and Equipment. 

Dr. Barry applies his engineering expertise to intellectual property disputes. He has worked on multiple aspects of intellectual property including validity/invalidity, infringement/non-infringement, Markman hearings, trade secrets, and copyright. His intellectual property work is varied and has involved issues such as fluid flow in toys, the fire safety properties of building materials, and medical devices.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Barry used engineering tools to research biological questions, such as the swimming of micro-organisms and the mechanics of human phonation. He has experience with a range of experimental techniques including particle image velocimetry, digital holography, particle segmentation and tracking, and the design and fabrication of microfluidic devices. Prior to his work at MIT, Dr. Barry worked as an eighth-grade mathematics teacher in Brooklyn, New York as a member of the New York City Teaching Fellows. Prior to that, he designed HVAC systems for large commercial buildings at Jaros, Baum, and Bolles in New York City.