Thomas J.R. Hughes is considered a leading scientist in computational mechanics, especially the combination of finite elements and CAD (isogeometric analysis), in elasticity and plasticity theory , in hydrodynamics and in medicine. For example, he developed modeling methods specifically tailored to individual patients for flow in blood vessel systems from computed tomography data.
Hughes studied engineering mechanics at Pratt Institute and mathematics at the University of Berkely. He then worked as an engineer at Grumman Aerospace and at General Dynamics. He then returned to the University of Berkeley, and later to Caltech and Stanford University, where he was chair of the Department of Engineering Mechanics (Mechanical Engineering). Hughes is currently (2021) professor of aircraft design and engineering mechanics at the University of Texas/Austin. Hughes has received numerous awards and is a founder of the International Association for Computational Mechanics.