Christopher A. Schuh (born August 4, 1975) is an American metallurgist. He is the Danae and Vasilis Salapatas Professor in Metallurgy in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

. Schuh was elected as a member into the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...

in 2019 for contributions to design science and application of nanocrystalline metals.

Early life and education

Schuh was born on August 4, 1975. He earned his

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

from the

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Universit ...

before attending

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science Established in 1909, the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science is one of twelve constituent schools at Northwestern University. Most engineering classes are held in the Technological Institute (1942), which students commo ...

for his PhD. Schuh conducted his postdoctoral fellowship at

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a federal research facility in Livermore, California, United States. The lab was originally established as the University of California Radiation Laboratory, Livermore Branch in 1952 in response ...

from 2001 to 2002.

Career

Schuh joined the faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at the

in 2002 as an assistant professor. Within two years, he was the recipient of the

Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. The White ...

for his experimental and theoretical research. Schuh was shortly thereafter promoted to associate professor without tenure, during which he co-discovered a safer method for shrinking crystals for metal alloys. By 2009, Schuh's research team developed a nickel-tungsten alloy that is considered safer and more durable than chrome. He was also granted tenure, and received the 2009 Young Alumnus Award from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. In 2011, Schuh was elected a MacVicar fellow for undergraduate teaching excellence and received the SAE International Ralph R. Teetor Education Award. He was later appointed head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, succeeding Carl Thompson. 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. By 2013, Schuh's research team developed a method of making minuscule ceramic objects flexible and able to hold “memory” for shape. 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. In 2019, Schuh was elected a Member of the

, and fellow of the

National Academy of Inventors The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) is a US non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging inventors in academia, following the model of the National Academies of the United States. It was founded at the University of South Florida in 2010. ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schuh, Christopher 1975 births Living people MIT School of Engineering faculty Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering American metallurgists University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors Fellows of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society