Carl C. Koch

Carl C. Koch is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University. His research has spanned a wide range of materials research, including superconducting materials, intermetallics, amorphous metallic materials, nanostructured materials, and high-entropy alloys. Prof. Koch's pioneering work has significantly advanced our understanding of mechanical alloying techniques, particularly in the preparation of amorphous and nanostructured alloys. With over 360 published papers and seven edited books, he has achieved recognition as a Fellow in multiple professional societies, including the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, Materials Research Society, American Physical Society, ASM International, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In recognition of his outstanding work on the synthesis of amorphous and nanocrystalline alloys through mechanical attrition, he was elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2013. Throughout his career, Prof. Koch's dedication to materials science and engineering has made a lasting impact on the field, making him a respected figure in materials research.
==Research and career==
Prof. Koch received his Ph.D. in metallurgy in 1964 from the Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve University). During his graduate studies, he focused on understanding hydrogen and strain aging embrittlement under the guidance of Professor Alexander R. Troiano. After that, he pursued a post-doctoral fellowship at Birmingham University where he explored rare earth alloying behavior with Professor Geoffrey Raynor. 
Upon joining Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in 1965, Koch's research initially focused on superconducting materials, particularly the challenging task of addressing the fluxoid pinning problem. Over time, he broadened his research to include topics like rapid solidification, intermetallic compounds, and the fascinating process of amorphization through mechanical alloying. Notably, he was the first to observe amorphization occurring in dissimilar metals using this method.
Transitioning to North Carolina State University (NC State) as a faculty in 1983, he continued his exploration of amorphization via mechanical alloying and further delved into the intricacies of intermetallics. His research then shifted towards the study of nanostructured materials, where he probed their mechanical behavior, thermal stability, and thermoelectric properties. Notably, his research portfolio expanded to encompass high-temperature oxide superconductors and, more recently, the intriguing field of high entropy alloys.
Prof. Koch's exceptional contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, reflecting the depth of his impact. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2013 and is a Fellow of the Materials Research Society, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, American Physical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and ASM International.
Throughout his career, Prof. Koch received various awards, including the Department of Energy Metallurgy and Ceramics Award in 1980 and the NSF Research Award for Special Creativity from 1990 to 1992. He also served as the DeVivo Lecturer at Northeastern University in 1991 and was elected National Secretary of the Materials Research Society in 1993.
Recognized for his dedication by NC State, Prof. Koch received the ALCOA Distinguished Research Award in 1991, the R.J Reynolds Tobacco Company Award for Excellence in 2003, and The Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence in 2006. His exceptional contributions continued to be acknowledged with awards such as the ASM International Albert Sauveur Achievement Award in 2012, the TMS Bruce Chalmers Award in 2015, and the TMS Institute of Metals Robert Franklin Mehl Award in 2023. 
==Selected publications==
*	T. R. Malow and C. C. Koch, "Grain Growth Kinetics in Nanocrystalline Iron Prepared by Mechanical Attrition," Acta Materialia, 45, 2177 (1997).https://doi.org/10.1016/S1359-6454(96)00300-X
*	C. C. Koch, “Optimization of Strength and Ductility in Nanocrystalline and Ultrafine Grained Metals,” Scripta Materialia, 49, 657 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1359-6462(03)00394-4
*	C. C. Koch, R. O. Scattergood, M. Saber, and H. Kotan, “ High Temperature Stabilization of Nanocrystalline Grain Size: Thermodynamic vs. Kinetic Strategies” Journal of Materials Research, 28, 1785-1791,(2013). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2012.429
*	R. B. Schwarz and C. C. Koch, "Formation of Amorphous Alloys by the Mechanical Alloying of Crystalline Powders of Pure Metals and Powders of Intermetallics," Appl. Phy. Lett. 49, 146 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.97206
*	K. M. Youssef, A. J. Zaddach, C. Niu, D. L. Irving, C. C. Koch,” A Novel Low Density, High Strength, High-Entropy Alloy with Close-packed Single-phase Nanocrystalline Structures", Materials Research Letters, 3, 95-99 (2014) https://doi.org/10.1080/21663831.2014.985855
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