Gary Pickrell

Gary Pickrell is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Virginia Tech. He serves as the Rolls Royce Commonwealth Director of Surface Engineering, Director of the Nano-Bio Materials Laboratory, and Associate Director of the Center for Photonics Technology, ECE. His academic journey includes a B.S. and M.S. from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. He has extensive industrial experience in roles such as Technical Director at Porvair Advanced Materials and Manager of Glass Technology at Corning, Inc.

His research focuses on fiber optics, plasma spray processes, specialty optical fibers, ceramic processing, and porous materials. He has pioneered innovations in optical fiber sensors for harsh environments and advanced thermal spray diagnostics. His work integrates experimental design, material characterization, and phase equilibria analysis.

With over 250 publications and 20 patents, Dr. Pickrell has led $30 million in research funding. Notable awards include the R&D 100 Award (2004) and Virginia Tech Outstanding Assistant Professor (2005). He has chaired over 30 international conferences and holds fellowships in SPIE and IEEE.

His industrial advisory roles include the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing Board and Penn State’s Center for Sintered Materials. Teaching includes courses like Advanced Physical Ceramics and Photonic Materials. His labs develop cutting-edge sensors for aerospace, energy, and environmental sectors.