Gary Rush Purdy (born October 8, 1936) is a Canadian materials scientist and engineer. He is a Distinguished University Professor at

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...

Early life and education

Purdy was born on October 8, 1936, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was born to father Kent Purdy and graduated from McKay Avenue and Victoria Composite High schools. Following high school, he earned his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in mining engineering and his

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in metallurgy from the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...

(U of A). During his time at the U of A, he won the Robert Tegler Scholarship from 1957 to 1958 and a National Research Council studentship from 1958 to 1959. Upon graduating from U of A, Purdy attended

where he won another National Research Council studentship.

Career

Following his PhD, Purdy joined the faculty at McMaster University in 1963. As a professor, he was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada Fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Canada judges to have "made remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life" ...

in 1991. Following his election, he was also inducted into McMaster’s Alumni Gallery. In 2002, his "contributions towards the understanding of diffusion and phase transformations in materials," earned him an election to the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. The following year, Purdy was also inducted into the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...

for "pioneering theoretical and experimental studies of chemical and structural effects on phase transformations and of interfacial diffusion-induced phenomena." He was appointed to the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

in June 2023.

Personal life

Purdy married nurse Ruby Elinore Smith in 1961 and they had their first child in 1962.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purdy, Gary Living people Academic staff of McMaster University Canadian materials scientists Canadian engineers 1936 births University of Alberta alumni McMaster University alumni Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Fellows of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society Members of the Order of Canada Scientists from Edmonton Scientists from Hamilton, Ontario