Christopher Schuh Explained

Christopher Schuh
Birth Date:4 August 1975
Education:BS, 1997, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
PhD., 2001, Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University
Workplaces:Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Christopher A. Schuh (born August 4, 1975) is an American metallurgist. He is the current dean of the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University. Previously, he was the Danae and Vasilis Salapatas Professor in Metallurgy in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he spent 21 years.

Schuh was elected as a member into the National Academy of Engineering in 2019 for contributions to design science and application of nanocrystalline metals.

Early life and education

Schuh was born on August 4, 1975.[1] He earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign before attending Northwestern University's Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science for his PhD.[2] Schuh conducted his postdoctoral fellowship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from 2001 to 2002.[3]

Career

Schuh joined the faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002 as an assistant professor.[4] Within two years, he was the recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for his experimental and theoretical research.[5] Schuh was shortly thereafter promoted to associate professor without tenure,[6] during which he co-discovered a safer method for shrinking crystals for metal alloys.[7] By 2009, Schuh's research team developed a nickel-tungsten alloy that is considered safer and more durable than chrome.[8] He was also granted tenure,[9] and received the 2009 Young Alumnus Award from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.[3]

In 2011, Schuh was elected a MacVicar fellow for undergraduate teaching excellence[10] and received the SAE International Ralph R. Teetor Education Award.[11] He was later appointed head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, succeeding Carl Thompson.[12] The following year, Schuh, Tongjai Chookajorn, and Heather Murdoch co-developed a method to produce nanocrystals, alloys made of tiny grains which hold exceptional strength and other properties.[13] By 2013, Schuh's research team developed a method of making minuscule ceramic objects flexible and able to hold “memory” for shape.[14]

He also led a team of researchers through a high-speed imaging impact process, which could help engineers design materials for erosion protection in the future. They used the data collected from the study to predict the response of particles of a given size traveling at a given speed.[15] In 2019, Schuh was elected a Member of the National Academy of Engineering,[16] and fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.[17]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Christopher A. Schuh . imr.cas.cn . January 28, 2020.
  2. Web site: McCormick Alum Named Head of MIT's Materials Science and Engineering Department . mccormick.northwestern.edu . January 28, 2020 . September 30, 2011.
  3. Web site: 2009 Alumni Awards . matse.illinois.edu . January 28, 2020 . 13 . 2009.
  4. Web site: Newsletter for Alumni and Friends of MIT's Department of Materials Science and Engineering . January 28, 2020 . 10–11 . January 1, 2003.
  5. Web site: Four researchers win Presidential Early Career Awards . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . October 7, 2004.
  6. Web site: Faculty members awarded tenure . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . June 1, 2005.
  7. Web site: Researchers think small to find safer alloys . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . February 15, 2006.
  8. Web site: Trafton . Anne . Finishing touches: New alloys offer alternative to chrome . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . May 19, 2009.
  9. Web site: MIT Corporation grants tenure to 50 faculty . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . November 14, 2007.
  10. Web site: Four professors named MacVicar fellows . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . March 9, 2011.
  11. Web site: Nine Honored with SAE International Ralph R. Teetor Education Award . prnewswire.com . January 28, 2020 . July 4, 2011.
  12. Web site: Schuh appointed head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . September 26, 2011.
  13. Web site: Chandler . Daniel L. . Engineers achieve longstanding goal of stable nanocrystalline metals . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . August 23, 2012.
  14. Web site: Chandler . David L. . How to make ceramics that bend without breaking . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . September 26, 2013.
  15. Web site: Chandler . David L. . What happens when materials take tiny hits . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . November 29, 2018.
  16. Web site: National Academy of Engineering Elects 86 Members and 18 Foreign Members . nae.edu . January 28, 2020 . February 7, 2019.
  17. Web site: Orenstein . David . Two MIT professors named 2019 fellows of the National Academy of Inventors . news.mit.edu . January 28, 2020 . December 3, 2019.