Biography

William J. Weber earned his BS Cum Laude in Physics from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh in 1971, and his MS and PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1972 and 1977, respectively. His dissertation research included transmission electron microscopy analysis of the temperature dependence of void and dislocation loop formation in ion-irradiated vanadium. From 1977 to 2010, Weber was on the staff of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) where he conducted research on radiation effects in ceramics and glasses, the long-term behavior of nuclear waste forms, electronic and ionic transport in ceramics, solid oxide fuel cells, high-temperature superconductors, and physics of radiation detectors. He was appointed Laboratory Fellow at PNNL in 1997 and served as Chair of the PNNL Council of Fellows from 2005 to 2009. In 1983, he was a visiting scientist at the Institute for Transuranium Elements in Germany, where he studied radiation effects in actinide compounds, nuclear waste glasses, and nuclear fuel materials. From 1989 to 1993, he was on a special assignment to the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, US Department of Energy, where he provided technical assistance in the review and evaluation of materials sciences programs. Weber joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee in 2010 as the UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Radiation Effects on Materials.

Weber’s research group focuses on the fundamental and applied aspects of radiation effects in materials, the interaction of radiation and charged-particles with solids, ion-beam and electron-beam modification of materials, defect-property relationships in ceramics, long-term performance of materials under extreme environments, phase transformations, interface phenomena, and nanostructures in materials. Their research includes using energetic ion and electron beams to study radiation effects in materials, to structurally modified materials for advanced technologies, and to perform accelerated testing of materials for extreme radiation environments, as well as using advanced computational methods to investigate defect properties, phase transformations, and radiation effects. Weber has authored or co-authored 13 book chapters and over 685 peer-reviewed papers with more than 27,500 times. He has given over 230 invited presentations at national and international scientific conferences, workshops, research institutions, and universities.

Education

• PhD, University of Wisconsin
  Radiation-Solid Interactions; Fundamental and Applied Research on Radiation Effects in Materials; Ion-Beam Modification of Materials; Defects, Phase Transformations and Nanostructures in Ceramics; Radiation Detector Physics; Theoretical Modeling

Professional Service

• Member, MRS Publications Committee, 2018 – present
• Chair, MRS Editors Subcommittee, 2018 – 2020
• Chair and Member, MRS Fellows Selection Committee, 2008 – 2014
• Principal Editor, J. Mater. Res., 2002 – 2019
• Member, Editorial Board, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B, 2003 – 2008
• Guest Editor, Curr. Opin. Sol. State Mater. Sci. (2015); J. Mater. Res. (2015); Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B (2020, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2007, 2006, 1998); J. Nucl. Mater. (2001)
• Chair of over 30 international conferences, society symposia, topical workshops

Awards & Recognitions

• 2020 James I. Mueller Award, American Ceramic Society
• 2016 EU Academy of Sciences
• 2016 Fellow, Ion Beam Society of India
• 2010 Fellow, American Physical Society
• 2009 Individual Lifetime Achievement in Science and Technology, PNNL
• 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
• 2008 Fellow, Materials Research Society
• 2006 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• 2005 Chester L. Cooper Mentor of the Year Award, PNNL
• 2000 Fellow, American Ceramic Society
• 1983 Outstanding Young Alumni Award, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh

Research Publications

1. L. Nuckols, M. L. Crespillo, C. Xu, E. Zarkadoula, Y. Zhang, and W. J. Weber, “Coupled effects of electronic and nuclear energy deposition on damage accumulation in ion-irradiated SiC,” Acta Mater. 199: 96-106 (2020).
2. W. J. Weber and Y. Zhang, “Predicting Damage Production in Monoatomic and Multi-Elemental Targets using Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter Code: Challenges and Recommendations,” Curr. Opin. Sol. State Mater. Sci. 23: 100757 (2019).
3. W. J. Weber, H. Xue, E. Zarkadoula, and Y. Zhang, “Two regimes of ionization-induced recovery in SrTiO₃ under irradiation,” Scripta Mater. 173: 154-157 (2019).
4. K. Jin, Y. Zhang, and W. J. Weber, “Synergistic effects of nuclear and electronic energy deposition on damage production in KTaO₃,” Mater. Res. Lett. 6: 531-536 (2018).
5. N. Sellami, M. L. Crespillo, Y. Zhang, and W. J. Weber, “Two-stage synergy of electronic energy loss with defects in LiTaO₃ under ion irradiation,” Mater. Res. Lett. 6: 339-344 (2018).
6. M. L. Crespillo, J. T. Graham, F. Agulló-López, Y. Zhang, and W. J. Weber, “Isolated oxygen vacancies in strontium titanate shine red: Optical identification of Ti³⁺ polarons,” Appl. Mater. Today 12: 131-137 (2018).
7. W. J. Weber, D. M. Duffy, L. Thomé, and Y. Zhang, “The role of electronic energy loss in ion beam modification of materials,” Curr. Opin. Sol. State Mater. Sci. 19: 1-11 (2015).
8. Y. Zhang, R. Sachan, O. H. Pakarinen, M. F. Chisholm, P. Liu, H. Xue, and W. J. Weber, “Ionization-induced annealing of pre-existing defects in silicon carbide,” Nature Commun. 6: 8049 (2015)
9. I. Farnan, H. M. Cho, and W. J. Weber, “Quantification of Actinide Alpha-Radiation Damage in Minerals and Ceramics,” Nature 445: 190-193 (2007).
10. W. J. Weber and R. C. Ewing, “Plutonium Immobilization and Radiation Effects,” Science 289: 2051-2052 (2000).

Selected Patents

Rodney C. Ewing, Werner Lutze and William J. Weber, Method of Immobilizing Weapons Plutonium to Provide a Durable, Disposable Waste Product, U.S. Patent No. 5,545,797