Wolverton Named Fellow of Materials Research Society

Northwestern Engineering’s Chris Wolverton has been named a fellow of the Materials Research Society for his pioneering work in computational materials science for materials design and discovery, particularly applied to metal alloys and energy materials. 

Chris Wolverton

Wolverton is a professor of materials science and engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering.

Founded in 2008, the MRS Fellows program recognizes outstanding contributions to the field, including research, leadership, and service that have advanced the mission of the materials community world-wide. It is intended to be a lifetime recognition of distinction in the field, rather than an award for a specific achievement.

Wolverton’s research is centered on computational materials science, and specifically first-principles quantum mechanical simulation tools. These computational tools have advanced to the point now where materials may be "synthesized virtually," with their properties predicted on a computer before ever being synthesized in a laboratory. 

Among his achievements, in 2013 Wolverton launched the Open Quantum Materials Database (OQMD), which supports new materials design by identifying candidate materials for applications like alternative energies and sustainability. Users can use the platform to search by composition, create phase diagrams, determine ground state compositions, and visualize crystal structures. Today, OQMD features more than 1.2 million compounds.

Other McCormick School of Engineering faculty that previously were named MRS Fellows include:

• Guillermo Ameer, Daniel Hale Williams Professor of Biomedical Engineering (2021)
• Sossina Haile, Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and professor of applied physics (2018)
• Joseph Hupp, professor of chemistry, and predictive science and engineering design graduate program faculty (2016)
• Teri Odom, Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry and (by courtesy) professor of materials science and engineering (2016)
• The late professor emerita Julia Weertman (2014)
• Chad Mirkin, George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, and (by courtesy) chemical and biological engineering and biomedical engineering (2013)
• Mark Hersam, Chair and Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and (by courtesy) electrical and computer engineering (2012)
• Vinayak Dravid, Abraham Harris Professor of Materials Science and Engineering (2010)
• David Seidman, Walter P. Murphy Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering (2010)
• Mercouri Kanatzidis, Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry and (by courtesy) professor of materials science and engineering (2010)
• Tobin Marks, Vladimir N. Ipatieff Professor of Catalytic Chemistry and Chemical and Biological Engineering and (by courtesy) materials science and engineering (2009)
• Samuel Stupp, Board of Trustees Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Medicine, and Biomedical Engineering (2009)
• Robert Chang, professor emeritus of materials science and engineering (2008)
• Manijeh Razeghi, Walter P. Murphy Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (2008)
• John Rogers, Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Neurological Surgery (2008)