W. Streit Cunningham

W. Streit Cunningham is an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia, leading the Accelerated Materials Discovery Lab. His research focuses on applying automated and high-throughput methodologies to develop materials for extreme environments, including high mechanical stresses, temperatures, and radiation fluxes. Key techniques include self-driving lab protocols, combinatorial synthesis (e.g., thin film sputtering), ion irradiation/annealing, and advanced characterization methods like XRD, electron microscopy, and ultrafast nanocalorimetry.

Education includes a Ph.D. from Stony Brook University (2021) and a B.S. from Johns Hopkins University (2016). He holds a prestigious NSF MPS-Ascend Postdoctoral Fellowship (2023–2026) and has received multiple awards, including the Alan J. Heeger Fellowship and Acta Materialia Student Award. His work spans alloy development, radiation effects in structural materials, and high-throughput materials discovery.

Recent research emphasizes nanocrystalline alloys, defect phase stabilization, and radiation tolerance in tungsten alloys. Publications highlight innovations in helium bubble dynamics, laser additive manufacturing, and in-situ TEM analysis. Cunningham’s lab actively explores automation-driven materials innovation for energy and aerospace applications.