Biography

Mohsen Asle Zaeem is the Department Head and Cook Eversole Endowed Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Asle Zaeem began his academic career at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T), where he served as the Roberta and G. Robert Couch Assistant Professor and later Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. Prior to joining UT in 2025, he was the Fryrear Endowed Chair for Innovation and Excellence and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at the Colorado School of Mines, where he also served as Director of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Professional Development Program, and as a member of the University Research Advisory Board.

From 2022 to 2024, Asle Zaeem served as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation in the Division of Materials Research, leading the Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) program.

Asle Zaeem’s research lies at the intersection of materials science, solid mechanics, and computational physics. His group develops multiscale computational models and large-scale simulation frameworks to study process–microstructure–property relationships in structural and functional materials. His recent work focuses on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) with physics-based models to accelerate the discovery and design of advanced materials. He has published more than 130 peer-reviewed journal articles, and his research has received over 6,400 citations with an h-index of 45.

He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), a 2024 Brimacombe Medalist, and the recipient of multiple research excellence awards, including those from Colorado School of Mines (2021) and Missouri S&T (2016).

Education

• PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Washington State University, 2010
• MS, Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, 2006
• BS, Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, 2003

Professional Service

• 2024-2026 Chair of the Materials Theory Awards Committee, MRS (Materials Research Society)
• 2022–2024 Program Director of DMREF Program, National Science Foundation
• 2021–2025 Director of Postdoctoral Affairs and Professional Development Program, Colorado School of Mines
• 2019–2024 Member, University Research Advisory Board, Colorado School of Mines
• 2020 Chair of the Ellen Swallow Richards & Frank A. Crossley Diversity Award Committee, TMS
• 2020 Chair of Materials Processing Technical Committee, ASME
• 2017 Chair of Young Professionals Committee, TMS

Awards & Recognitions

• 2024 Brimacombe Medalist, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS)
• 2022, 2017, and 2015 Outstanding Reviewer Award, Acta Materialia
• 2021 Faculty Research Excellence Award, Colorado School of Mines
• 2021 Fryrear Endowed Chair for Innovation and Excellence, Colorado School of Mines
• 2019 Rising Star in Computational Materials Science, Elsevier
• 2018 Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
• 2016 Faculty Research Excellence Award, Missouri University of Science and Technology
• 2016 Highly Cited Research in Computational Materials Science, Elsevier
• 2017 TMS-FEMS Young Leader International Scholar Award
• 2017 IOP Outstanding Reviewer Award
• 2016 American Chemical Society New Investigator Award
• 2015 TMS Young Leader Professional Development Award
• 2015 Junior Faculty Award, Mines and Metallurgy Academy
• 2013 Couch Endowed Professor Medallion, Missouri S&T
• 2013 Inducted to Alpha Sigma Mu Int. Honor Society for Materials Sci. & Eng.
• 2012 Metallurgical and Materials Transactions Excellent Reviewer Recognition
• 2011 Best Poster Award, COMSOL Conference, Boston, MA
• 2010 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, Washington State University