Charles Melcher

Charles Melcher is a Research Professor and Director of the Scintillation Materials Research Center (SMRC) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, within the Tickle College of Engineering's Materials Science and Engineering Department. His work focuses on developing advanced scintillation materials for radiation detection in medical imaging, homeland security, and particle physics. He holds a PhD from Washington University (1980) and has extensive industry experience at Schlumberger and CTI Molecular Imaging, where he pioneered LSO:Ce scintillators. His research includes crystal growth, optical spectroscopy, and detector implementation.

Education: PhD in Physics from Washington University (1980), BS in Physics from Rice University (1974).

Research interests span scintillation material discovery, luminescence characterization, and applications in medical imaging systems. Awards include IEEE Fellow (2014) and University of Tennessee's Multidisciplinary Research Citation (2013). The SMRC, founded by Melcher, drives innovation in scintillator technology. His lab explores novel materials like cesium iodides and perovskites for enhanced detection capabilities.

Awards:

• 2014 Fellow, IEEE
• 2013 Citation for Multidisciplinary Research
• 2006 Merit Award, IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society

Grants and patents include 13 U.S. patents on scintillation materials. He advises on detector design and collaborates globally on projects like the KDK experiment. His lab also develops thin films for high-resolution radiography and combinatorial materials discovery.