Waltraud M Kriven

Waltraud M. Kriven is a Full Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, holding joint appointments in the Materials Research Laboratory and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and an Affiliate Professor in Mechanical Science and Engineering. She specializes in phase transformations in inorganic compounds, structural ceramic composites, and geopolymers. Her research focuses on low-temperature oxide ceramic synthesis, microstructure characterization via electron microscopy, and phase equilibria. Kriven pioneered the development of an in-situ synchrotron furnace for ceramic studies and has authored 340+ publications, 59 conference proceedings, and edited/co-edited 27 books. She is a Fellow of the American and Australian Ceramic Societies, and a member of the European Union Academy of Sciences.

Education: Ph.D. in Solid State Chemistry (University of Adelaide, 1980s), followed by postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley/Lawrence Berkeley Lab and the Max-Planck-Institute in Stuttgart. She has organized over 30 international conferences on geopolymers and phase transformations in ceramics, including the 2025 International Symposium on Geopolymers. Her company, Keanetech LLC (2004), specializes in ceramic and geopolymer technologies.

Research highlights include geopolymer-based neutron shielding materials, acid-resistant composites, and sustainable construction materials. Awards include the Mueller Award (2017) and dual Brunauer Awards (1988, 1991). She holds six patents with four pending, emphasizing material innovation for industrial applications.