Matthew J. O’Keefe

Matthew J. O’Keefe is Dean and Professor at the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, Kansas State University, holding the LeRoy C. and Aileen H. Paslay Chair in Engineering. He has held leadership roles including Executive Director of the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence at the University of Mississippi and Chair of Material Science and Engineering at Missouri S&T. His research focuses on thin films, coatings, and sustainable materials processing, with over $34M in research funding as PI and co-PI. He has authored 140+ peer-reviewed publications and holds six patents, three licensed.

• Education: Ph.D. Metallurgical Engineering (1993, University of Illinois); B.S. Metallurgical Engineering (1985, Missouri S&T)

His professional experience spans industry roles at AT&T Bell Laboratories and Air Force Research Lab. Awards include ASM International fellowship and teaching excellence recognitions. He advises interdisciplinary programs and drives innovation in manufacturing education.