Alan W. Cramb
- Distinguished Professor of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Alan William Cramb is currently a Distinguished Professor of Materials Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology where he was President from 2015 until 2021. Upon retiring as president, he was appointed as a Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in the Armour College of Engineering of the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Alan was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2014 and to the National Academy of Inventors in 2015 and won the Bessemer Gold Medal in 2016.
Alan received his BS in Metallurgy from Strathclyde University, Glasgow, in 1975, his Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1979, and subsequently spent 7 years managing research within the steel industry.
In 1986 he joined the faculty of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and in 1990 became the co-director of the Center for Iron and Steelmaking. In 1997 he was awarded the Posco Chair. In 2000, he became Head of the Materials Science and Engineering Department.
In 2005 Alan was appointed the Dean of Engineering and the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor of Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
In 2008 Alan joined the Illinois Institute of Technology as its Provost and the Finkl Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. In 2015 he became President of the Institute.
He is the author of over 200 publications and 2 patents. He was the recipient of the AISI Medal in 1985 and 1986 and the Robert Woolston Hunt Award in 1987. He was awarded the Benjamin Richard Teare Award at CMU for excellence in engineering education in 1995. Alan was the President of the Iron and Steel Society in 2000. He was the John Elliott lecturer in 2002. In 2003 he was awarded the Benjamin Fairless Award. Alan became President of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Engineers (AIME), was chairman of the University Materials Council, and a board member of ABET in 2005. In 2007 he gave the Henry Marion Howe lecture of AIME/AIST. In 2012 he gave the Brimacombe lecture of AIST. He is a Distinguished Member or Fellow of AIST, AIME, ASM, The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), The National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and the Iron and Steel Society of Japan (ISIJ).
Education
Ph.D. in Materials Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 1979
B.Sc. with Honors in Metallurgy, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland
Research Interests
- Studies of the Initial Solidification Behavior of Steels
- Studies of the Solidification Behavior of Liquid Oxides
- Clean Steel Production
- Initial Solidification Phenomena in a Continuous Casting Mold
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST)
American Society for Materials (ASM)
American Association for Engineering Education (AAEE)
Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME)
Fellow of the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan (ISIJ)
Awards
Distinguished Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology (2021)
Bessemer Gold Medal (2016)
Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2015)
Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering (2014)
J. Keith Brimacombe Memorial Lecture AIST (2012)
Finkl Endowed Professorship - Illinois Institute of Technology (2008)
Champion H. Mathewson Award (2008) Most notable contribution to metallurgical science as a co-author of the papers: “A Mold Simulator for the Continuous Casting of Steel: Part I. The Development of a Simulator," Met Trans B, 2005, Vol. 36 B, No. 3, pp. 355-372 and "A Mold Simulator for the Continuous Casting of Steel: Part II. The Formation of Oscillation Marks during the Continuous Casting of Low Carbon Steel," Met Trans B, 2005, Vol. 36 B, No. 3, pp. 373-383
A Frank Gollic Memorial Lecturer - Missouri University of Science and Technology (2007)
Howe Memorial Lecturer Award (2007) Named plenary lecturer for annual AIST steelmaking conference
TMS Distinguished Career Award - TMS Hudson-Mohawk Chapter (2006)
Named as a Bao Steel "Honorary" Professor (2006)
John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor of Engineering,
Carnegie Lecturer, ASM, Pittsburgh (2003)
Benjamin F. Fairless Award - Award of AIME (2003)
John Elliott Lecturer - Major Award of ISS/TMS (2002)
J. B. Austin Award of ISS (2001), Presidential recognition award
Charles H. Herty Award of ISS (2000), Best paper award
Distinguished Member and Fellow of ISS (2000)
Posco Chair in Iron and Steelmaking, Carnegie Mellon University (1997)
John Farrel Award of ISS, in recognition of leadership in the Process Technology Division of ISS
Benjamin Richard Teare Award of CIT at CMU, (1995), engineering educational award of university
Iron and Steel Society Professor (1992-8), recognition award for excellence in steel research
Outstanding Young Member - Pittsburgh ASM, (1990)
Institute Medal of AISI (1987), Best paper award
Robert W. Hunt Silver Medal of ISS (1987), Best paper award
Steelmaking Conference Award of ISS (1986), Best paper award
Institute Medal of AISI (1986), Best paper award
Charles H. Herty, Jr. Award of ISS (1986), Best paper award
Frank B. McKune Award of ISS (1984), Best paper award
British Steel Corporation Prize- Student Award at Strathclyde University (1975)
Publications
