Professor Matt O’Keefe became chair of the materials science and engineering department on March 1.

Dr. Matt O’Keefe, professor of materials science and engineering and director of the Materials Research Center at Missouri University of Science and Technology, has been named chair of the materials science and engineering department at Missouri S&T. His appointment took effect March 1.

O’Keefe takes over from Dr. Dick Brow, Curators’ Professor of ceramic engineering, who will remain on the faculty in a teaching and research capacity.

“Dr. O’Keefe’s broad base of experience, knowledge and talent make him the perfect choice to take on the challenges of his new position,” says Dr. John J. Myers, acting vice provost and dean for the College of Engineering and Computing at Missouri S&T. “Dr. O’Keefe has done an outstanding job as director of the Materials Research Center and will now play a vital role in leading the materials science and engineering department to even greater heights in the future.”

O’Keefe has active research in thin films, coatings, environmentally friendly processing and characterization of materials. He will continue teaching metallurgical engineering and ceramic engineering courses but will no longer be the head of the Materials Research Center. A new director will be named later.

O’Keefe joined the Missouri S&T faculty in 1999 as an associate professor of metallurgical engineering. He became a full professor in 2006, and in 2007 he was named director of the Materials Research Center.

He is the co-author on more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and 70 conference proceedings, is a major advisor for nine Ph.D., nine master’s and 10 post-doctoral students.

While at Missouri S&T, O’Keefe has received eight faculty excellence awards, three campus outstanding teaching awards and two Metallurgy Professor of the Year awards.

He is a member of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, the Materials Research Society, ASM International (formerly the American Society for Metals), NACE International (Corrosion Society), Alpha Sigma Mu, Tau Beta Pi and Phi Kappa Theta social fraternity. He also is a graduate of the University of Missouri Leadership Development Program.

O’Keefe earned a bachelor of science degree in metallurgical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1985. He earned a Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1993.

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