Michel Barsoum

Biography

   Ph.D. MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, June 1985 Degree in Ceramics from Department of Materials Science and Engineering M.Sc. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ROLLA, ROLLA, MO. June 1980 Degree in Ceramics Engineering, Department of Ceramic Engineering B.Sc. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO, CAIRO, EGYPT Feb. 1977 Department of Materials Engineering; Highest honour. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE DREXEL UNIVERSITY, Philadelphia, PA. Sept. 1999-present Distinguished Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering LINKOPING UNIVERSITY, Linkoping, Sweden Oct. 08-present Visiting Professor INSTITUT POLYTECHNIQUE DE GRENOBLE, Grenoble, France Jan. –Mar. 2016 Sabbatical leave.  IMPERIAL COLLEGE, London, UK Sept.–Dec. 2015 Sabbatical leave as Leverhulme Trust scholar. NINGBO INSTIT. OF MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY, Ningbo, China Sept. 2013-2014 Visiting Professor DREXEL UNIVERSITY, Philadelphia, PA. Jan. 2009-2013 A. W. Grosvenor Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY, Los Alamos, NM Oct. 08 – Sept. 09 Wheatly Scholar, Sabbatical Leave COMMISSARIAT A L’ENERGIE ATOMIQUE, CEA, Saclay, France, Summer 2006 UNIVERSITY OF POITIERS, Poitiers, France, Summer 2003 Visiting Professor MAX-PLANCK INSTITUTE, PML, Stuttgart, Germany Sept. 2000-2001 Sabbatical Leave DREXEL UNIVERSITY, Philadelphia, PA. Sept. 1997-1999 Professor, Department of Materials Engineering MAX-PLANCK INSTITUTE, FKF, Stuttgart, Germany Sept. 1993-94 Sabbatical Leave DREXEL UNIVERSITY, Philadelphia, PA. Sept. 1985-99 Assistant and Associate Professor, Department of Materials Engineering 2 AWARDS (Highlighted entries are noteworthy) Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, 2016. Chair of Excellence, Nanosciences Foundation, Univ. Foundation Grenbole Alpes, France, 2016, www.fondation-nanosciences.fr/# Elsevier Scopus, List of 300 most Cited Authors in Materials Science and Engineering, 2016. www.msesupplies.com/blogs/news/2016-the-most-cited-researchers-in-materials-science-and-engineering-by-elsevier-scopus-data ASM Delaware Valley Materials Person of the Year, 2016. Visiting Professor, Grenoble Instit. of Tech. Grenoble, France; Winter, 2016. Leverhulme Trust Visiting Professorship, Imperial College, London, UK; Fall 2015. Outstanding Research Award, Dept. of Materials Science and Engin., Drexel Univ., 2013. Visiting Professor, Ningbo Instit. Mater. Techn. & Engin. Chinese Acad. of Sciences; 2013- 2014 Ross Coffin Purdy Award 2013, American Ceramic Society. Visiting Professor, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France; Feb. 2012.  ISI’s Most Highly Cited Authors List 2009 (http://isihighlycited.com/). Visiting Professor, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden. A. W. Grosvenor Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2009-2014. Wheatly Scholar, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, October 2008. 2008 Sigma Xi Lecture, MIT, Cambridge, MA, May 2008. Outstanding Research Award, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2008. University Research/Scholarship Award, Drexel University, 2007 (Inaugural award). Academician, World Academy of Ceramics, 2006. Fellow, American Ceramic Society, 2005. Marquis Who's Who in Science and Engineering, 2005-2006 Edition. Outstanding Service Award, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2006. Outstanding Teaching Award, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2005. Outstanding Research Award, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2003. Visiting Professorship, U. of Poitiers, Poitiers, France, 2003. Outstanding Research Award, College of Engineering, Drexel University, 2003. Research Scholar Award, Drexel University, 2001.  Alexander von Humboldt-Max Planck Society Prize for Senior US Scientists, 2000. Distinguished Professor, Drexel University, 1999

Research Interest

 Dr. Barsoum's current research interests, among others, focus on developing and characterizing ceramic based materials for very high temperature applications.   This work includes the processing and characterization (including extensive high temperature testing) of in-situ formed transition metal carbide/boride/nitride composites. Dr. Barsoum and his research group were the first to successfully synthesize, fabricate and fully characterize an important class of machinable ceramics for high temperature applications, namely the 312 and 211-phases. Since July 1996, when the first paper on Ti3SiC2 was published, Dr. Barsoum and co-workers published, or have accepted for publication over 60 refered publications on these ternary carbides and nitrides. Dr. Barsoum has authored or co-authored over 80 refereed publications, a textbook, Fundamentals of Ceramics, published by McGraw-Hill in 1997 and 8 patents. In 1999, Dr. Barsoum was made a distinguished professor at Drexel University, one of two such awards made every year across the University.