Flores named ASM Fellow

Katharine Flores was elected for her work in metallic glasses, alloys

Beth Miller 
(From left) Kathy Flores has been elected a Fellow of ASM (American Society for Metals) International and was presented an award by David Williams, the 2022-23 president of ASM International. (Credit: Kathy Flores)
(From left) Kathy Flores has been elected a Fellow of ASM (American Society for Metals) International and was presented an award by David Williams, the 2022-23 president of ASM International. (Credit: Kathy Flores)

Katharine M. Flores, the Christopher I. Byrnes Professor in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, has been elected a Fellow of ASM (American Society for Metals) International for her contributions to the field of materials science and engineering. She will be inducted at the International Materials Applications and Technologies Conference and Exhibition (IMAT) conference in October 2023.

Flores, also associate chair for materials science in the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science and director of the university’s Institute for Materials Science & Engineering, was selected “for contributions to development and processing of metallic glasses and multi-principal element alloys and the characterization of structure, flow and fracture in these materials.”

Flores’ research includes fundamental studies of structure-property relationships in structurally- and compositionally complex materials, as well as more applied work to develop new metallic alloys for load-bearing applications in high-temperature environments. She leads research projects focused on quantitatively describing the inherently disordered atomic structure of metallic glasses and has pioneered high-throughput synthesis methods to rapidly explore the vast design space of “multi-principal element” alloys. She also is interested in developing new advanced manufacturing methods that use energy and raw materials more efficiently and sustainably.

Among her other honors and recognitions include receiving the Dean’s Faculty Award for Extraordinary Service in 2022; being named an Institute for School Partnership Faculty Fellow and receiving the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science Department Chair’s Award for Outstanding Teaching at Washington University, both in 2015; participating in The Ohio State University President and Provost’s Leadership Institute; receiving the Ohio Faculty Innovator Award (co-recipient with Peter Anderson, The Ohio State University) in 2011; and receiving the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program (ONR-YIP) grant and the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (NSF-CAREER) grant, both in 2005. 

A Washington University alumna, Flores earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the engineering school and a master’s and doctorate in materials science and engineering from Stanford University. She completed postdoctoral training in the Sports Materials Laboratory at Stanford University.

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