Dan Thoma

Dr. Dan Thoma is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) and inaugural Director of the Grainger Institute for Engineering. He leads research in advanced manufacturing, materials design, and phase transformation dynamics. Previously, he served as Deputy Division Leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s MST Division, focusing on novel materials and manufacturing methods.

Education: PhD (1992), MS (1988), and BS (1986) in Materials Science from UW-Madison and University of Cincinnati. His expertise spans autonomous materials R&D, additive manufacturing of alloys, and energy materials.

Research focuses on: Autonomous materials systems, metal additive manufacturing, alloy design for energy applications, and functional phase transformations. He emphasizes high-throughput experimentation and machine learning for accelerated materials discovery.

Awards include the TMS Fellowship (2019), AIME Honorary Member (2021), Vilas Associate Award (2023), and numerous LANL accolades. His work bridges fundamental materials science with industrial applications, particularly in fusion reactor materials and corrosion-resistant alloys.

Grants/Advising: Active in multi-disciplinary projects involving nuclear engineering and mechanical systems. Supervises graduate research through courses like MS&E 332 and M E 890. Collaborates with federal labs and industry on materials innovation.

Labs/Teams: Leads Grainger Institute initiatives and cross-departmental collaborations in UW-Madison’s College of Engineering, integrating mechanical, nuclear, and materials engineering expertise.