The MPI Team
Diran Apelian
Howmet Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Director, MPI
+1-508-831-5992; dapelian@wpi.edu
Professional Web site
B.S., Drexel University, 1968; Sc.D., MIT, 1972
Solidification processing, spray casting, molten metal processing, aluminum foundry processing, plasma processing, and knowledge engineering in materials processing.
Professor Diran Apelian is of the Howmet Professor of Engineering and Director of the Metal Processing Institute (MPI) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). He received his B.S. degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Drexel University (1968) and his Doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT (1972). After graduating MIT, he joined Bethlehem Steel's Homer Research Laboratories. He joined Drexel University in 1976 and held various positions at Drexel, including Professor, Head of the Department of Materials Engineering, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and subsequently Vice-Provost. He joined WPI in July 1990 as the Institute's Provost, and led the mission of broadening WPI's academic programs and research agenda.
After a six-year tenure as Provost, Dr. Apelian was appointed to head the Metal Processing Institute at WPI. MPI is an industry-university alliance dedicated to near-net-shape manufacturing with centers in metal casting; powder metallurgy; and heat treating. MPI is supported by over 110 corporate partners, as well as funding from private foundations and the federal government.
Apelian's research interests and expertise are in materials processing, and specifically, solidification and net-shape manufacturing. He is credited for pioneering work in various areas of solidification processing; molten metal processing and filtration of metals; aluminum foundry engineering; plasma deposition; and spray casting/forming. For his achievements, Prof. Apelian has been honored with a number of awards, including the Howard Taylor Gold Medal in 1987 by AFS as well as the Scientific Merit Award of AFS (1990). He is an Honorary Member of NADCA. In 1990, Apelian received ASM's Henry Marion Howe Medal for the best paper or series of papers in Metallurgical Transactions by AIME. In March 1992, at the AIME Annual Meeting, he received the Champion H. Mathewson Gold Medal for his contributions to the literature. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate and was named Honorary Professor of Northwestern Polytechnic University in Xian, China, in 1997. He is an Honorary Member of the French Materials Engineering Society - SF2M (2000). He is a Fellow of ASM, APMI and TMS, in 2006 he was the recipient of the Bruce Chalmers Award awarded by TMS. In 2006, WPI recognized Apelian with the Board of Trustees' award for Outstanding Research and Creative Scholarship. Apelian was recognized (in 2007) for his work on society and technology with Acta Materiallia's prestigious Hollomon Award. He is also the recipient of the Brimacombe prize (2007) for being a world ambassador, an innovator, and a visionary for a better global society. Dr. Apelian is also the 2008/2009 President of TMS (The Minerals, Metals and Materials Societies).
Dr. Apelian has over 450 publications to his credit and eleven books that he has co-edited. He is a member of various professional societies including TMS, ISS, MRS, ASM, AFS, NADCA, and MPIF. Dr. Apelian serves on several technical advisory boards and on corporate boards. He has served on, and chaired, several National Materials Advisory Boards for the National Research Council. He was Chief-Editor of Journal of Light Metals, a web based journal, and now serves on the Editorial board of the International Journal of Cast Metals Research, and the Encyclopedia of Materials Science and Engineering.
Download his biography (2.9MB PDF file)
View Professor Apelian's publications
Carol A. Garofoli
Director of Operations, MPI
+1-508-831-5592; garofoli@wpi.edu
A.S., Becker Junior College, 1972; B.S., Worcester State College, 1982; M.B.A., Assumption College, 1998
Carol Garofoli has held various positions in academic administration at WPI and, from 1990 to 1996, was director of academic operations in the Provost's Office. She holds a B.S. in business management and an M.B.A. As MPI's Director of Operations, she is the primary liaison with WPI's accounting, purchasing and human resources offices, and is responsible for interacting with MPI's consortium companies. Garofoli facilitates MPI activities for programs and oversees its web site and communications.
Renee Brodeur
Staff Accountant, MPI
+1-508-831-5003; rbrodeur@wpi.edu
B.S. Electrical Engineering, WPI, 1983
Renee Brodeur has worked in the high-tech computer and network industries for corporations such as Hughes Aircraft, MITRE, Prime Computer, Sequoia Systems, Sonus Networks, and most recently Motorola. She has experience in many areas of the product development life cycle including firmware/software development, systems engineering, quality assurance, and technical writing. Renee returns to WPI as part of the MPI administrative team. In her role as Staff Accountant, she is responsible for maintaining MPI’s financial accounts.
Maureen Plunkett
Administrative Assistant, MPI
+1-508-831-5992; mrp@wpi.edu
Maureen Plunkett supports the administrative and liaison activities of the Metal Processing Institute.
Renee Brodeur
Staff Accountant, MPI
+1-508-831-5003; rbrodeur@wpi.edu
B.S. Electrical Engineering, WPI, 1983
Renee Brodeur has worked in the high-tech computer and network industries for corporations such as Hughes Aircraft, MITRE, Prime Computer, Sequoia Systems, Sonus Networks, and most recently Motorola. She has experience in many areas of the product development life cycle including firmware/software development, systems engineer, quality assurance, and technical writing. Renee returns to WPI as part of the MPI administrative team. In her role as Staff Accountant she is responsible for maintaining MPI’s financial accounts.
Carl Raatikainen
Manager of Laboratories, MPI
+1-508-831-5805; carlraat@wpi.edu
ASEET Mt. Wachusett Community College, BSTE Mechanical Engineering (Minor:Textile Engineering); MSBA Boston University
Carl Raatikainen is responsible for providing support to undergraduate and graduate students as well as research staff for the MPI laboratories. He orders and maintains equipment, test apparatus, manuals and materials. He oversees the foundry and other related laboratories for personnel safety. Carl began his career as a materials engineer at B.F. Goodrich. At Firestone Tire & Rubber he was a senior engineer in their development group in Akron, Ohio and in their research and development group in Rome, Italy. Recently, he was employed in the engineering laboratory of Setra.
Joseph Schlesinger
Information Systems
Bradford Lynch
Information Systems Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: August 12, 2008 13:40:40