Dr. Filippo Mangolini earned his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland) in 2011, after graduating from Polytechnic University of Milan (Milan, Italy) in Materials Engineering with the highest honor in 2006. Upon completion of his Ph.D. in 2011, Dr. Mangolini performed postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania and then at Ecole Centrale de Lyon (Lyon, France). His postdoctoral research was supported by the European Union through a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship and by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) through a SNSF Postdoctoral Fellowship. After two years at the University of Leeds (Leeds, UK) as University Academic Fellow and Marie Curie Fellow, Dr. Mangolini joined the faculty of the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin in Spring 2018 as an Assistant Professor in Materials Science and Engineering. In Fall 2020 he was appointed as Walker Scholar.
Dr. Mangolini received a number of international and national awards and honors for outstanding research and teaching achievements, including the 2022 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Burt L. Newkirk Award, 2021 NSF CAREER Award, 2021 Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) Early Career Award, Dean’s Award for Outstanding Engineering Teaching by an Assistant Professor, Teaching award from the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2018 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, and the 2016 Mazzucotelli Award from the Italian Chemical Society.
Dr. Mangolini’s research aims to develop a physically-based understanding of the chemical reactions and structural transformations occurring on material surfaces under extreme environments and far-from-equilibrium conditions. The broader impact of this research will be to aid in the rational design and synthesis of new, modified, and improved functional materials able to withstand harsh conditions (e.g., high temperatures, oxidizing environments, mechanical loading), and suitable for a wide range of technological applications (e.g., engines, aerospace components, hard disks, machining tools, microprobes, electromechanical systems). The research outcomes can contribute to the development of advanced (nano-)manufacturing technologies, and enhance sustainable development through the reduction of the economic and environmental impact of corrosion and tribology, while being a key factor in the attempt of achieving the challenging environmental objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.