Elizabeth Carol Dickey is an American

materials scientist Materials science is an interdisciplinary field of researching and discovering materials. Materials engineering is an engineering field of finding uses for materials in other fields and industries. The intellectual origins of materials scien ...

who is the Teddy and Wilton Hawkins Distinguished Professor at

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

. Her research considers structure-property relationships for materials with grain boundaries and interfaces. She is a Fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

, the

American Ceramic Society The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) is a nonprofit organization of professionals for the ceramics community, with a focus on scientific research, emerging technologies, and applications in which ceramic materials are an element. ACerS is located ...

and the

Microscopy Society of America The Microscopy Society of America (MSA), founded in 1942 as The Electron Microscope Society of America, is a non-profit organization that provides microanalytical facilities for studies within the sciences. Currently, there are approximately 3000 me ...

Early life and education

Dickey was an undergraduate student at the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

, where she studied materials science. She moved to

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

as a doctoral researcher, where she studied nickel oxide cubic zirconia.

Research and career

Dickey joined

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

in 2002, where she worked as associate director of the interdisciplinary Materials Research Institute and Director of the Materials Characterization Laboratory. In 2011, she was made professor at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

where she oversaw the reorganization of the Analytical Instrumentation Facility and established the Center for Dielectrics and Piezoelectrics. Dickey looks to identify processing-structure-property relationships for ceramics and systems with grain boundaries and interfaces. The complex chemistry of grain boundaries in materials can impact electrical and chemical transport. She combines advanced characterization techniques, e.g. electron microscopy,

infrared spectroscopy Infrared spectroscopy (IR spectroscopy or vibrational spectroscopy) is the measurement of the interaction of infrared radiation with matter by absorption, emission, or reflection. It is used to study and identify chemical substances or functio ...

and

ellipsometry Ellipsometry is an optical technique for investigating the dielectric properties (complex refractive index or dielectric function) of thin films. Ellipsometry measures the change of polarization upon reflection or transmission and compares it ...

, to understand the functional properties of materials. Dickey was elected President of the

in 2021. That year she was made Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Awards and honors

Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) is the highest honor bestowed by the United States federal government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. T ...

* Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics * 2010 Fellow of the

* 2012 American Ceramic Society Richard M. Fulrath Award * 2013 Northwestern University Early Career Achievement Award * 2020 Fellow of

* 2020 Fellow of the

* 2020 NCSU Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Professorship * 2023 American Ceramic Society Robert B. Sosman Award and Lecture

Selected publications

* * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dickey, Elizabeth Living people American materials scientists University of Kentucky alumni Northwestern University alumni Carnegie Mellon University faculty Year of birth missing (living people)