Matthew Willard

Matthew Willard, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Case School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University. His research focuses on phase transformations and materials processing, particularly in nanocomposite soft magnetic alloys, rare-earth free permanent magnets, and metal matrix composites. He holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (2000), following a Master's (1997) and Bachelor's (1995) from the same institution.

His work bridges fundamental materials science with applied engineering solutions, emphasizing magnetic materials for advanced applications. He has received significant recognition, including the 2019 Technical Educator Award from the Cleveland Technical Societies Council and the 2017 Undergraduate Teaching Award from Case School of Engineering. He is an IEEE Senior Member (since 2014) and chairs the Magnetic Materials Committee of The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society.

Dr. Willard’s research spans alloy design, nanocrystalline structure-control, and high-temperature magnetic materials. His studies on Earth’s inner core nucleation paradox (2018) highlight interdisciplinary contributions to geophysics. His publications frequently address amorphous-to-crystalline transitions, magnetic property optimization, and computational modeling for material innovation.

He has been a Frontier of Engineering Speaker (2012, National Academy of Engineering) and a Kavli Fellow (2012, National Academy of Sciences). His awards also include the Alan Berman Publication Award (2009, 2004) from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.