Wei Xiong

Wei Xiong is the William Kepler Whiteford Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. Since founding the Physical Metallurgy and Materials Design (PMMD) Laboratory in 2016, he has led a multidisciplinary team that couples CALPHAD-based ICME with high-throughput experiments and additive manufacturing to create high-performance alloys for extreme environments.

Education & Career Path

• Ph.D., Materials Science – KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden (2012)
• Research Associate – University of Wisconsin–Madison (2012–2013)
• Research Associate – Northwestern University (2013–2016)
• Associate Professor & William Kepler Whiteford Faculty Fellow – University of Pittsburgh (2016–present)

Research Interests

Dr. Xiong’s research integrates computational thermodynamics (CALPHAD), kinetic modeling, and data-driven materials informatics to accelerate the design of advanced alloys. Core themes include:

• Phase equilibria and transformations in multi-principal element alloys
• Process-structure-property relationships in additive manufacturing
• High-temperature oxidation and corrosion resistance
• Space-qualified materials and extreme-environment performance

Publication Trends & Impact

With an h-index of 35 and >150 peer-reviewed papers since 2016, the PMMD Lab’s output spans Nature, Science Advances, Acta Materialia, and leading additive-manufacturing journals. Recent work emphasizes uncertainty quantification, machine-learning-guided alloy design, and real-time process monitoring via in-situ diagnostics.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• ASTM AM CoE Young Professional Award in Additive Manufacturing (2024)
• NSF CAREER Award (2021)
• TMS Early Career Faculty Fellow Award (2021)
• APDIC Best Paper Award (2021)
• CALPHAD Young Leader Award (2020)
• Acta Materialia Outstanding Reviewer Award (2020)
• TMS FMD Young Leader Professional Development Award (2015)
• CALPHAD Journal Best Paper Awards (2012, 2013)

Grants & Funding

Dr. Xiong’s research is continuously supported by federal and industrial sponsors, including:

• NASA – High-performance space alloys via additive manufacturing
• Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) – Extreme-environment materials
• Office of Naval Research (ONR) – Naval alloy development
• National Science Foundation (NSF) – CAREER and collaborative awards
• Department of Energy (DOE) & ARPA-E – Fossil-energy materials
• Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) – Radiation-resistant steels

Laboratory & Team

The Physical Metallurgy and Materials Design (PMMD) Laboratory operates >20 active research projects, hosts 5-year average PhD timelines, and has produced 3 best-graduate-student awards and 4 best-paper awards. The lab maintains collaborations with national laboratories (Argonne, NIST), federal agencies, and industry leaders (Caterpillar, GM, Thermo-Calc Software Inc.).