Christopher Schuh

Christopher Schuh is the Dean of the McCormick School of Engineering and the John G. Searle Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University. Formerly the POSCO Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT until 2023, his research focuses on materials processing, design at the atomic level, and the development of advanced alloys and ceramics. He co-founded companies like Xtalic, Desktop Metal, and Foundation Alloy, commercializing materials innovations.

Education:

• B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (1997)
• Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University (2001)
• Ernest O. Lawrence Postdoctoral Fellow, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (2001)

Research Interests: Schuh's work spans nanocrystalline alloys, grain boundary engineering, shape-memory ceramics, and microparticle impact dynamics. His group develops materials for extreme conditions and advanced manufacturing, emphasizing scalable production and technological applications.

Awards:

• National Academy of Engineering (2019)
• National Academy of Inventors (2019)
• Fellow, American Society for Metals (2017)

Advising & Labs: He has advised numerous Ph.D. students, including Tyler Lucas (high-velocity microparticle impacts) and Daniel Ng (grain boundary segregation in vanadium). His Schuh Group operates in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, focusing on cutting-edge materials research.