Brenner named head of Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Dr. Donald Brenner, Kobe Steel Distinguished Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at North Carolina State University, has been named head of the MSE department. Brenner has served as interim head since fall 2017.

Dr. Louis Martin-Vega, dean of the College of Engineering at NC State, announced that Brenner will begin his appointment effective August 16, 2018. He succeeds Dr. Justin Schwartz, who became the new dean of the College of Engineering at Penn State University in August 2017.

Brenner joined the NC State faculty in 1994 as an associate professor in MSE after holding a position as a research chemist in the Theoretical Chemistry section of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.

His research interests include atomistic simulations of the structure, growth and properties of thin films; simulated engineering of nanometer-scale structures and devices; and solid-state chemical dynamics.

Among his many honors, Brenner is a recipient of the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence; the R.J. Reynolds Awards for Excellence in Research, Teaching and Outreach; and the College of Engineering Outstanding Teacher award and was inducted into the NC State Academy of Outstanding Teachers.

He earned a B.S. degree in chemistry from the State University of New York and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Penn State University.