John H. Perepezko (35K JPG)

IBM Professor of Materials Science and Engineering John Perepezko has been named to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest honors accorded to engineers.

Perepezko, a College of Engineering faculty member for 29 years, was cited by the academy for his innovative work in solidification processing to obtain useful micro-structured, nano-structured, and amorphous materials.

"John has made a number of leading contributions to the field of materials science and engineering, and we're proud the National Academy of Engineering has recognized his work," said college Dean Paul Peercy.

On the basis of a series of papers he authored in the 1980s, Perepezko identified a unique perspective on nucleation behavior that has been adopted by the materials processing community as the benchmark for understanding nucleation and solidification in highly under-cooled alloy systems. In addition, his research into high-temperature alloys such as superalloys, titanium aluminide intermetallics and refractory alloys has led to enhanced alloy designs in structural applications. He holds six patents and has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications.

Perepezko becomes the fifth faculty member of the college's Materials Science and Engineering Department to be named to the national academy. Department Chairman Sindo Kou said only a few similar departments nationwide can boast of such an array of NAE members.

Fellow department members in the national academy include: Wisconsin Distinguished Professor Y. Austin Chang; Erwin W. Mueller Professor and Bascom Professor of Surface Science Max Lagally; Grainger Professor of Superconducting Materials and L.V. Shubnikov Professor of Materials Science and Engineering David Larbalestier; and Peercy, who holds a faculty appointment in the department.

"John's election the academy confirms our department's strength in assembly an outstanding team of faculty," Kou said.

He is a member of TMS — The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, ASM — The Materials Information Society, the Electrochemical Society, the Materials Research Society, and the American Society of Engineering Education.

Perepezko joined the College of Engineering in 1975. He has won several teaching awards, and was also awarded the college's 1997 Byron Bird Award for Excellence in a Research Publication.

Membership in the National Academy of Engineering is accorded to those in the field who have made "important contributions to engineering theory and practice," as well as those who have demonstrated the "pioneering of new fields of engineering, making major advances in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education," according to a statement released by the academy.

Founded in 1964, the NAE is a branch of the National Academies, which also includes the National Academy of Science, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. The academy advises the federal government on public policy issues involving technology and engineering, and conducts independent studies on technology and engineering matters.

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