People

The Materials Science and Engineering faculty shown below include professors, associate professors, and assistant professors with primary and joint appointments. To view additional faculty (courtesy, emeritus and visiting), select the "Find Faculty by Appointment" tab to filter results.
  • Sean R. Agnew

    William G. Reynolds Professor of Materials Science Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
    Sean R. Agnew

    Our research is focused primarily on metals analysis, including magnesium alloy formability, intermetallic behaviors, and aluminum alloy fatigue.

  • Prasanna Balachandran

    Associate Professor
    Prasanna Balachandran

    My interests are in materials informatics, density functional theory, machine learning, bayesian inference, and optimal design methods applied to accelerate the search and discovery of novel 2D materials, metallic alloys, ferroic and electronic materials.

  • Kory Burns

    Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
    Currently Recruiting
    Kory Burns Headshot

    Kory Burns is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering starting Summer 2024. Kory obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from Valdosta State University, an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering (Nuclear Engineering Program).

  • James T. Burns

    Heinz and Doris Wilsdorf Distinguished Research Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
    Currently Recruiting
    James Burns headshot photo

    James T Burns is Heinz and Doris Wilsdorf Distinguished Research Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Virginia. He received his B.S. from the US Air Force Academy in 2002, M.S. from UVA in 2006, and Ph.D. from UVA in 2010.

  • Liheng Cai

    Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering (by courtesy) Assistant Professor of Chemistry (by courtesy)
    Currently Recruiting
    Liheng Cai

    My lab’s research lies at the interface of soft (bio)materials and biology. We seek to understand and control the interactions between soft (bio)materials and living systems to solve challenges in sustainability and health. We do this using a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches.

  • W. Streit Cunningham

    Assistant Professor
    Currently Recruiting
    W. Streit Cunningham

    Streit is a UVA Rising Scholar Research Scientist who will be an Assistant Professor in MSE, effective July 25, 2025. 

  • Diane Dickie

    Senior Scientist, Depts. of Chemistry and Materials Science & Engineering Principal Scientist and Crystallographer for XRD
    Diane Dickie Photo

    Dr. Diane Dickie joined the Chemistry Department in January 2018 as a Senior Scientist and X-Ray Crystallographer. She is has a joint appointment with the Materials Science Department. Her office is Room 103 in Jesser Hall (Materials Science and Engineering). 

  • John J. Dorning

    Professor Emeritus
    John J. Dorning Headshot
  • Catherine Dukes

    Research Scientist, Materials Science & Engineering Director, Laboratory for Astrophysics and Surface Physics NMCF Principal Scientist XPS/XRF/FTIR
    Currently Recruiting
    Cathy Dukes Headshot

    Catherine Dukes directs the Laboratory for Astrophysics and Surface Physics (LASP) and provides expertise in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for the University of Virginia's Nanoscale Materials Characterization Facility (NMCF). Her NSF and NASA funded research focuses on the interaction of radiation with surfaces.

  • Dana M. Elzey

    Associate Professor Emeritus
    elzey
    After graduating with a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering, and working on the R&D staffs of IBM and General Electric, Elzey accepted an offer to conduct research in the area of high temperature fatigue failure of Ni-base superalloys at the Max-Planck Institute for Materials Research…