Donald W. Brenner

Donald W. Brenner is a Kobe Steel Distinguished Professor and Department Head in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University. He earned his B.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the State University of New York (1982) and Penn State University (1987), respectively, followed by a research staff role at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. His career at NC State spans three decades, focusing on computational materials science and atomic-scale modeling.

• B.S. in Chemistry, State University of New York (1982)
• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University (1987)

Brenner's research centers on computational materials modeling for extreme environments, particularly high entropy ceramics, tribology, and shock dynamics. His work employs density functional theory, molecular dynamics, and multi-scale simulations to study materials like diamond clusters, nanotubes, and self-assembled monolayers. Recent publications emphasize defect properties, hardness optimization, and machine-learned interatomic potentials for ternary and high-entropy systems.

Scientific honors include the 2002 Feynman Prize (nanotechnology), 2013 Alcoa Foundation Award, and 2016 Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal. He is also an editor of the Handbook of Nanoscience, Engineering and Technology (CRC Press, 2002-2012). His research group develops reactive empirical bond order (REBO) potentials and explores tribochemical processes, shock-induced chemistry, and nanoscale device engineering.