Principal Investigator
Zachary Cordero, PhD, PE
Boeing Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Office: GRB E208, email: zcordero [at] mit [dot] edu
Previous Appointments:
Assistant Professor, Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 2016-2020
Postdoc Fellow, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2015-2016
Education:
PhD, Materials Science and Engineering, MIT, 2015
PhD, Materials Science and Engineering, MIT, 2015
BS, Physics, MIT, 2010
Bio: Zack Cordero received his SB in physics from MIT in 2010. After working one year in the materials science division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Zack returned to MIT to pursue a PhD in materials science and engineering, where his research focused on the powder-route synthesis of bulk nanostructured tungsten alloys. Upon graduating from MIT in 2015, Zack moved to a postdoctoral fellowship appointment in the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility of Oak Ridge National Laboratory where he developed process monitoring, quality control, and microstructure design tools for powder-bed, metal additive manufacturing technologies. In 2016, Zack launched his independent career as an assistant professor in the Materials Science and NanoEngineering department at Rice University. In 2020, he moved to MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Zack’s research program at MIT integrates his expertise in processing science, microstructure design, and mechanics of materials to develop novel propulsion materials and architectured materials for high-performance aerospace applications. Some of his research accomplishments include: elucidating the physical mechanisms that drive junction growth in ultrasonic welding; demonstrating a novel crystal growth technique for manipulating the 3D structure of a grain boundary network; and developing a hybrid additive manufacturing technique for creating architectured composites with tailored thermomechanical properties.
Zack is also a professional engineer and consults on materials processing, materials selection, and failure analysis challenges.