Microstructural Evolution Professors and Supervisors in Qatar

Anthony RollettView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Anthony Rollett is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University , where he has been a faculty member since 1995. He serves as the Principal Investigator and Co-Director of the NASA-supported Institute for Model-Based Qualification & Certification of Additive Manufacturing (IMQCAM) and co-director of the Next Manufacturing Center . Prior to CMU, he held leadership roles at Los Alamos National Laboratory (1991-1995). Education: Ph.D., Materials Engineering, Drexel University (1987) MA, Metallurgy and Materials Science, Cambridge University (1977) Research Interests: Rollett’s work focuses on microstructural evolution and microstructure-property relationships in 3D using experiments and simulations. His expertise spans additive manufacturing , metal 3D printing , materials for energy systems , grain growth , recrystallization , and stereology , with techniques like high-energy diffraction microscopy (HEDM) and dynamic x-ray radiography (DXR) . Scientific Contributions: He has over 320 peer-reviewed publications and an h-index >80 . His recent articles highlight machine learning for laser processing , fatigue analysis of additively manufactured alloys, and design optimization for heat exchangers in supercritical CO2 and solar thermal applications . Scientific Awards: Fellow of ASM International (1996) Fellow of the Institute of Physics (UK) (2004) Fellow of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) (2011) Cyril Stanley Smith Award (TMS, 2014) Member of Honor, French Metallurgical Society (2015) US Steel Professor (2017) Francqui International Professor (2020-2021) International FAME Award (2023) Leadership & Impact: Rollett co-led the development of a NASA Space Technology Research Institute for additive manufacturing and established a new master’s program in additive manufacturing (2018). His research group is funded by industry , federal agencies , and Pennsylvania state grants . He also serves on the Basic Energy Science Advisory Committee and Defense Programs Advisory Committee for the Department of Energy.

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Marc De GraefView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Marc De Graef is the John and Claire Bertucci Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He leads the J. Earle and Mary Roberts Materials Characterization Laboratory and is affiliated with the Materials Science and Engineering Department within the College of Engineering. De Graef holds dual roles as a faculty director and researcher, specializing in advanced materials characterization techniques, particularly electron microscopy and microstructural analysis. Education: Ph.D. in Physics, Catholic University of Leuven (1989) M.S. and B.S. in Physics, University of Antwerp (1983) Research Interests: De Graef's work focuses on 3D microstructure analysis, materials informatics, magnetic materials, and advanced characterization methods like Lorentz microscopy. His research emphasizes quantitative electron microscopy techniques, including electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and their application to study complex materials systems. He has pioneered software tools for materials characterization, such as orientation mapping algorithms and dictionary-based indexing methods. Key Achievements: Recipient of the 2025 Microscopy Society of America Distinguished Scientist Award Author/co-author of over 350 publications and two textbooks: Introduction to Conventional Transmission Electron Microscopy and Structure of Materials Principal investigator on grants including a $7.5M Air Force-funded Center of Excellence in data-driven materials research Lab & Collaborations: Directs the Materials Characterization Facility at CMU, advancing capabilities in X-ray and electron microscopy. His team collaborates on projects involving additive manufacturing, magnetic domain analysis, and topological magnetic structures. Recent work includes studies on skyrmions in thin films and phase stability in novel alloys.

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John MillerView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

John Miller is a Professor of Economics and Social Science at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and a Research Professor at the Santa Fe Institute. His work focuses on complex adaptive systems, computational modeling, and social dynamics. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan (1988) and has held academic positions since 1990. Miller’s research explores emergent patterns in social systems through agent-based models, experimental economics, and nonlinear dynamics. His research interests span complex adaptive systems, game theory, auction markets, and behavioral economics. Notable contributions include foundational work on computational social science, the Standing Ovation Problem, and cooperative behavior analysis. Miller has authored influential books such as Complex Adaptive Systems: An Introduction to Computational Models of Social Life and A Crude Look at the Whole . He has received awards including the Elliot Dunlap Smith Award for Teaching Excellence and has led initiatives like the Open Learning Initiative. Miller’s academic leadership roles include Director of Graduate Studies at CMU and Faculty Director of the Omidyar Fellows Program at Santa Fe Institute. His work bridges economics, computer science, and interdisciplinary complexity research.

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Bryan WeblerView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Bryan Webler is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) since 2013, with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He serves as Co-Director of the Center for Iron and Steelmaking Research (CISR), an industry-supported consortium, and is affiliated with the NextManufacturing Center and Mill 19 digital backbone initiative. His expertise spans process metallurgy, additive manufacturing, and steelmaking technologies. Education: B.S. in Engineering Physics (2005) from the University of Pittsburgh; M.S. (2007) and Ph.D. (2008) in Materials Science and Engineering from CMU. Prior to academia, he worked as a Senior Engineer at the Bettis Atomic Laboratory's Materials Technology department. Research focuses on four core areas: chemical reactions during liquid steel refining, non-metallic inclusion control, continuous casting of steel, and additive manufacturing (laser powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition). His group integrates high-temperature experiments, computational thermodynamics, and kinetic modeling. Notable contributions include developing oxide dispersion strengthening methods and advancing digital twin applications in manufacturing. Key awards include the Kent D. Peaslee Junior Faculty Award (AIST Foundation) and the AIST Foundation Steel Professor title. He serves on editorial boards for Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B and Metallurgical Research and Technology , and actively contributes to industry partnerships. Beyond technical work, Webler explores the history of metallurgy, particularly Pittsburgh's steel industry legacy. His lab's innovations address carbon management, energy production, and advanced materials processing for extreme environments.

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Shlomo Ta'asanView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Shlomo Ta'asan is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, affiliated with the Mellon College of Science. He holds a Ph.D. from The Weizmann Institute of Science. His research spans computational materials science and systems biology, with a focus on grain growth dynamics and immune response modeling. Collaborations include work with David Kinderlehrer, R. Suter Lab, and materials science faculty at CMU. Key research areas include bridging microscopic dynamics to macroscopic equations, grain boundary evolution, and immune system modeling. His work on inverse problems using HEDM data and entropy-based theories of grain boundary character distribution has advanced materials science. In biology, he develops models for circulatory system instabilities and shock mechanisms. Notable contributions include mesoscale simulations of grain growth and multigrid optimization methods for aerodynamics. His interdisciplinary approach integrates computational mathematics with experimental data from materials and biological systems.

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David KinderlehrerView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

David Kinderlehrer is an Alumni Professor of Mathematical Sciences and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. His research focuses on applied mathematics, particularly partial differential equations and optimal transport theory, applied to problems in materials science and cell biology. Education: Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, with postdoctoral training at Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa Key research areas include understanding the evolution of material microstructures through entropy-based theories, modeling grain boundary dynamics, and developing continuum-scale methods for stochastic systems. His work has revealed connections between materials science and information theory, such as analogies to prefix codes. Recent publications highlight applications of Wasserstein gradient flows to ion transport and the discovery of non-random texture order in materials via grain boundary character distributions. His investigations bridge discrete and continuous modeling paradigms. Scientific Awards Fellow of the American Mathematical Society SIAM Fellow

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Gregory S. RohrerView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Gregory S. Rohrer is the W.W. Mullins Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University , where he has been a faculty member since 1990. He served as Department Head from 2005 to 2021 and was named University Professor in 2025. His research focuses on the structure and properties of interfaces in crystalline materials, particularly grain boundaries, and their impact on material behavior. Education : Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania (1989), B.S. in Physics from Franklin and Marshall College (1984) Rohrer's research spans advanced materials processing, ceramics, energy materials, metallurgy, and sustainable energy. He has pioneered work on quantifying atomic and microstructural mechanisms in high-temperature materials, with significant contributions to grain boundary crystallography and microstructure prediction. His recent research page details applications in materials for energy production and catalysis. His publications (over 350) include groundbreaking studies on grain boundary energy, phase transformations, and microstructural evolution. Key awards include the Outstanding Educator Award (2025), Cyril Stanley Smith Award (2025), and MRS Fellow (2024). He has also held leadership roles as Coordinating Editor for Acta Materialia and Board Member of the American Ceramic Society. As a dedicated educator, he authored the textbook Structure and Bonding in Crystalline Materials and maintains extensive student/instructor resources. His NSF-funded research has driven innovations in predicting material microstructures and understanding high-temperature deformation mechanisms.

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Paul A. SalvadorView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Paul A. Salvador is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering. He also serves as Director of the Energy Science, Technology & Policy (EST&P) Program. Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University (1997) B.S.E. in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Pennsylvania (1992) His research focuses on advanced materials processing for energy conversion and storage, particularly: Photocatalysts for solar fuel production Electrocatalysts in solid oxide fuel cell electrodes Thin film epitaxy for metastable materials synthesis Recent publications (2021-2025) address: Quantifying microstructural evolution in SOFC anodes Combinatorial substrate epitaxy for polytypic oxide growth Polymerization-induced microstructural heterogeneity in ceramic materials Domain-specific reactivity in ferroelectric photocatalysts Computational modeling of electrochemical degradation High-throughput screening of doped photocatalysts Scientific recognition includes: Elevated to Fellow of The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) in 2021 He leads collaborative research with: National Energy Technology Laboratory Laboratoire CRISMAT (France) Multiple research groups at Carnegie Mellon University

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Amit AcharyaView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Amit Acharya is the Paul P. Christiano Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), with affiliations in the Center for Nonlinear Analysis and Mathematical Sciences, and Materials Science and Engineering (courtesy). He leads the Mechanics, Materials, and Computing (MMC) research group, focusing on theoretical and computational defect mechanics in crystalline, liquid crystalline, and metallic glass systems. His work bridges continuum mechanics, applied mathematics, and materials science, emphasizing the interplay between structural defects and material behavior. Education: Ph.D. (Theoretical & Applied Mechanics, UIUC 1994); MS (Mining Engineering, University of Utah 1991); BTech (Mining Engineering, Indian School of Mines 1988) Research interests include dislocation dynamics, coarse-graining of nonlinear systems, and differential geometry in structural mechanics. Notable contributions include the Hysteresis nonlinear viscoelastic material model and S4 shell element during his tenure at HKS/Simulia (1995–1998). He has pioneered continuum models for defect interactions in polycrystalline materials and explored topological defects in nematic systems. Recent work (2023–2025) advances variational principles in dislocation mechanics, thermomechanical coupling, and machine learning-enhanced computational methods. His studies address grain boundary dynamics, fracture mechanics, and the geometric foundations of plasticity. Ongoing projects explore actuation mechanisms in nematic glasses and the unification of dislocation-based plasticity theories. Awards and recognition are not explicitly listed, though his contributions are reflected in foundational models used in commercial software (e.g., ABAQUS) and academic research. He advises graduate students through CMU’s CEE department and collaborates on DOE-funded initiatives, such as the Center for Simulation of Advanced Rockets (UIUC, 1998–2000). Labs/Teams: Lead researcher in the MMC Group, affiliate of CMU’s Center for Nonlinear Analysis, and collaborator in multi-scale materials modeling networks.

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Elizabeth HolmView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Elizabeth Holm is Professor and Department Chair of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan. Her research employs computational methods to study microstructural evolution, with expertise spanning atomic-scale molecular dynamics to continuum-scale modeling. Education includes a PhD in Materials Science and Scientific Computing from University of Michigan. Research focuses on computational materials science with emphasis on grain boundary dynamics, machine learning applications in materials, and additive manufacturing characterization. Recent publications develop AI methods for microstructure prediction, grain growth modeling, and automated analysis of material images. Work integrates machine vision with physics-based models to understand material behavior across scales. National Academy of Engineering Member (2025) ASEE Mike Ashby Outstanding Materials Educator Award (2022) AIME Honorary Member (2022) ASM Edward DeMille Campbell Memorial Lecturer (2021) The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society Fellow (2019) Professor Holm leads research on computational design of hierarchical materials and has held leadership positions including President of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (2013).

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Alan McGaugheyView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Alan McGaughey is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering. He leads the Nanoscale Transport Phenomena Laboratory, where his research bridges mechanical engineering, materials science, physics, and chemistry to study atomic-level transport of mass, momentum, and energy. His work emphasizes phonon, photon, electron, and fluid particle dynamics using advanced simulation techniques. Bachelor of Engineering, McMaster University (1998) Master of Applied Science, University of Toronto (2000) Ph.D., University of Michigan (2004) Post-doctoral training, University of Florida Alan McGaughey's research interests center on nanoscale thermal transport , with applications in energy technologies , materials for energy efficiency , and multiscale modeling . His lab develops molecular- and meso-scale simulation methods, including molecular dynamics, lattice dynamics, density functional theory, and Boltzmann transport equation modeling. Key research areas include thermal transport in nanostructures and interfaces, hybrid organic-inorganic materials, electrocaloric cooling, and liquid-vapor phase change. The team also applies machine learning to accelerate materials discovery and property prediction. The recent publications (2023–2025) reflect a strong focus on thermal conductivity prediction in diverse systems—from polymers and 2D materials to disordered crystals and thin films. The work integrates first-principles simulations , uncertainty quantification , and machine learning to uncover fundamental mechanisms of phonon transport and interfacial heat transfer. A recurring theme is the role of structural disorder —static, dynamic, or rotational—in modulating thermal properties. Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Program (2009) Benjamin Richard Teare Teaching Award (2014) National Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium (2015) Professor of the Year by MechE seniors (2012, 2015, 2017) 2019 & 2024 College of Engineering Faculty Awards 2021 Viskanta Fellowship, Purdue University McGaughey has advised numerous Ph.D. and Master’s students, many of whom have gone on to impactful research careers. His group has secured funding from agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, including Scott Institute seed grants for energy research. He collaborates extensively with experimentalists, including Jonathan Malen, Reeja Jayan, Chris Wilmer, and others, ensuring strong theory-experiment integration. He is also involved in educational innovation and was named faculty chair-elect for the College of Engineering. The Nanoscale Transport Phenomena Laboratory is a vibrant research group that combines computational modeling with interdisciplinary collaboration to advance fundamental understanding and enable next-generation thermal materials and devices.

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Kaushik DayalView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Kaushik Dayal is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering. He leads the Multiscale Mechanics Research Group and is affiliated with several interdisciplinary centers including the Center for Nonlinear Analysis, the Center for the Mechanics and Engineering of Cellular Systems, the NextManufacturing Center, and the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation. His research bridges theoretical and computational mechanics with applications in materials science, energy, and environmental systems. Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology (2007) M.S., Aeronautics, California Institute of Technology (2001) B.Tech., Naval Architecture, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (2000) His research focuses on theoretical and computational multiscale methods , particularly in modeling the behavior of materials across atomic to continuum scales. Key areas include non-equilibrium response , electromagnetic effects , phase-field modeling of fracture , poroelasticity , soft active materials , and data-driven inverse design . He investigates phenomena such as microstructure evolution, dislocation dynamics, surface growth, and material behavior under extreme conditions. His work integrates mechanics with chemistry, robotics, and climate resilience, often leveraging machine learning and Bayesian inference. His recent publications reveal a strong trend in computational mechanics of heterogeneous and functional materials , with emphasis on phase-field models, multiscale homogenization, and instability exploitation in soft electromechanical systems. Many studies involve collaboration with national labs and cross-departmental teams, reflecting a highly interdisciplinary approach. McGaw Graduate Fellowship in Mechanical Engineering Army Research Laboratory Journeyman Fellowship Adamson Fellowship Bushnell Doctoral Fellowship Mao Yisheng Outstanding Dissertation Award MIT Postdoctoral Fellowship for Engineering Excellence Center for Machine Learning and Health Fellowship Dowd Doctoral Fellowship Steinbrenner Doctoral Fellowship Dunlap Awardee Dayal has advised numerous PhD students, many of whom have gone on to postdoctoral positions at institutions such as Caltech, MIT, Johns Hopkins, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. His research is supported by major grants from the Department of Defense (MURI program), Air Force Research Laboratory, and other federal agencies. He actively promotes education through teaching assistant awards and participation in Rising Stars workshops. He leads the Multiscale Mechanics Research Group , a vibrant team engaged in cutting-edge research on material modeling, soft robotics, energy materials, and environmental mechanics. The group emphasizes open scientific exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation in computational methods.

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Irene FonsecaView profile

Professor

Carnegie Mellon UniversityQatar

Irene Fonseca is the Kavčić-Moura University Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Center for Nonlinear Analysis at Carnegie Mellon University’s Mellon College of Science. Her research focuses on applied mathematics at the interface of physical sciences and engineering, emphasizing variational techniques for materials science (e.g., shape memory alloys, thin films, epitaxy) and computer vision (image segmentation, denoising). She holds leadership roles including past SIAM President (2012) and has been honored with prestigious awards like the European Academy of Sciences Fellowship and knighthood in Portugal’s Military Order of St. James (1997). Education: Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Research Interests: Calculus of variations and nonlinear partial differential equations Mathematical modeling of materials microstructures Anisotropic surface energies and thin film growth Image processing via variational methods Epitaxial thin film growth mechanics Articles Trends: Recent work emphasizes Homogenization theory and multiscale modeling Nonlinear elasticity in thin structures Advanced image denoising algorithms Dislocation dynamics and defect formation Γ-convergence applications in phase transitions Awards: SIAM Fellow American Mathematical Society Fellow 2014 University Professor appointment 2018 Kavčić-Moura Professorship Grants & Labs: Leads the Center for Nonlinear Analysis, managing NSF-funded programs. Active in training next-generation applied mathematicians through interdisciplinary initiatives. Labs/Teams: Core contributor to CMU’s CNA, collaborating on projects bridging mathematics with materials science and imaging challenges.

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