Professor Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Education
- Doctoral Degree, Materials Science & Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Bachelor's Degree, Material Science & Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Biography
Dr. Corinne Packard is a Professor at the University of Southern California in the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science. From 2010-2024, Packard progressed through the professorial ranks in the George Ansel Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines while simultaneously jointly appointed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Prior to appointment at Mines, Packard earned B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science & Engineering at MIT, focusing on nanoscale deformation of materials, and followed that with post-doctoral study combining optoelectronics and mechanics in an electrical engineering laboratory, also at MIT. Packard’s research addresses issues of materials sustainability in solar energy, electronics, and aerospace, using fundamental and applied mechanics of brittle materials to improve materials utilization and enhance performance in extreme environments. Notable awards include the AIME Robert Lansing Hardy Award, a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, and the Colorado School of Mines Faculty Excellence Award. She has an impactful research portfolio with more than 60 archival publications and 4 issued patents; leads outreach with women and disabled children; and is a devoted teacher, developing diverse and highly trained professionals for STEM careers and leadership in industry and academia.
Research Summary
Packard’s research addresses issues of materials sustainability in solar energy, electronics, and aerospace, using fundamental and applied mechanics of brittle materials to improve materials utilization and enhance performance in extreme environments. Her research has elucidated principles and mechanisms of deformation behavior in brittle materials at the micro- and nanoscales. Specific examples include determining the role of chemistry in controlling the deformation behavior in rare-earth orthophosphate ceramics; engineering fracture in photovoltaic semiconductors to enable dramatic cost reduction through wafer reuse; and high-throughput materials discovery and optimization to design for durable thin film coatings. The thread that ties these diverse projects together is a deep interest in understanding how complex stress state can be controlled to yield desirable mechanical behavior in materials.
Awards
- 2019 Colorado School of Mines Colorado School of Mines Faculty Excellence Award 2019
- 2017 TMS/AIME (American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers) AIME Robert Lansing Hardy Award
- 2014 National Science Foundation NSF Early Career Faculty Development Award
- 2014 TMS 2014 TMS Structural Materials Division Young Leader Professional Development Award
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