Donald Brenner

Donald W. Brenner is the Kobe Steel Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University, within the College of Engineering. His research focuses on atomic-scale modeling and multi-scale simulation techniques for advanced materials design, including high-entropy ceramics and nanotechnology applications. He holds a B.S. (1982) and Ph.D. (1987) in Chemistry from the State University of New York and Pennsylvania State University, respectively. Before joining NC State in 1994, he was at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

Research interests include computational studies of materials for extreme environments, tribology, shock dynamics, and nuclear materials. Key methods employed are density functional theory, molecular dynamics, and hybrid modeling approaches. His work has led to innovations such as the REBO interatomic potential, foundational for reactive molecular simulations.

Notable awards include the 2002 Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology, 2013 Alcoa Foundation Award, and 2016 Holladay Medal. His Brenner Research Group explores topics like nanoscale structure characterization, energetic materials, and self-assembled monolayers. Current projects emphasize high-entropy materials discovery via entropy landscaping and machine learning-driven interatomic potentials.