Diran Apelian

Howmet Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Known internationally for his pioneering research in various solidification processes, including molten metal processing and filtration of metals, Diran Apelian, in 1996, founded WPI’s Metal Processing Institute, the largest industry-university collab­orative in North America. He joined WPI in 1990 as university provost, returning to teaching and research six years later. He holds a BS in metallurgical engineering from Drexel University and an ScD in materials science from MIT. He worked at Bethlehem Steel’s Homer Research Laboratories before joining the Drexel faculty in 1976, ultimately becoming associate dean of the College of Engineering and vice provost. His achievements, including more than 500 publications and seven co-edited books, have earned him numerous honors, including the Champion H. Mathewson Gold Medal for his contributions to the literature. Northwestern Polytechnic University in Xian, China, awarded him an honorary doctorate and named him honorary professor in 1997. He is an Honorary Member of the French Materials Engineering Society, a fellow of ASM International, APMI, and TMS (the highest award of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society). He received WPI’s Board of Trustees’ award for Outstanding Research and Creative Scholarship in 2006. He will become TMS president in April.

Maintained by webmaster@wpi.edu
Last modified: February 27, 2008 11:29:59