Material Science and Engineering
Visiting Distinguished Faculty
Prof. Eduard Arzt is internationally known for his research on high temperature alloys, electromigration mechanisms, thin film strength and gecko-inspired adhesives. In his current research, he strives to identify and strengthen new, fruitful paths of collaboration between complementary branches of materials science and engineering. Emphasis is placed on micropatterning of elastomeric surfaces as a powerful sustainable paradigm for modulating the mechanical interaction between objects. Examples are the design of architectured adhesives for biomedical applications and the creation of new microstructures for gripping and retrieving satellite debris in space. In his new environment in Southern California, he particularly aims to address biodiscovery as a comprehensive materials development strategy for extreme environments.
Bio
Eduard Arzt joined the faculty in 2023 as Distinguished Visiting Professor. He was until 2022 Professor for New Materials and Scientific Director of the INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials in Saarbrücken, a leading German research laboratory. Previously, from 1990 to 2007, he co-directed the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart. Following a PhD in physics from the University of Vienna, Austria, he held visiting positions at Cambridge University, Stanford University, and M.I.T. He is the recipient of high science awards, most recently of the 2023 William D. Nix Award of TMS, and is a member of the Leopoldina German Academy of Sciences, the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the US National Academy of Engineering. Arzt is Editor-in-Chief of the review journal Progress in Materials Science and co-founder of a deep tech start-up in robotics.