[2] Hemker has mentored over 75 postdoctoral fellows, doctoral and masters students since coming to Hopkins,[3] about 20 of whom now have tenured or tenure-track academic positions in major research universities (U Penn, UIUC, UCSB, Tohoku U, U Freiburg, KAIST, TAMU, and others).

[citation needed] Hemker's research expertise centers on identifying the underlying atomic, nano and microstructural details that govern the mechanical response, performance and reliability of materials.

His group has made key observations and discoveries in: More recent activities include the development of nanotwinned NiMoW thin films with extreme strength (3-4GPa) and an exceptional balance of properties.

[5] Having demonstrated that they can be micromachined into micro-cantilevers with requisite dimensional stability, Hemker collaborates with General Electric to promote the use of metal MEMS devices for use in extreme environments and the Internet of Things (IoT).

[citation needed] More fundamental studies include atomic-scale characterization of boron carbide with high resolution TEM[9] and atom probe tomography, nanoscale orientation and stress mapping, and the advancement of ICMSE and MGI principles through the development of micro-scale experiments to benchmark physics-based hierarchal models at appropriate scales.