Katherine Faber

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Katherine Faber
Faber at the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University
Born
Katherine Theresa Faber

(1953-06-19) June 19, 1953 (age 70)
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Education
SpouseThomas Felix Rosenbaum
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions
Doctoral advisorAnthony G. Evans

Katherine T. Faber is an American materials scientist and one of the world's foremost experts in ceramic engineering, material strengthening, and ultra-high temperature materials. Faber is the Simon Ramo Professor of Materials Science at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).[1] She is also an adjunct professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University.[2]

Faber is known for her work in the fracture mechanics of brittle materials and energy-related ceramics and composites, including the Faber-Evans model of crack deflection which is named after her.[3][4][5] Her research encompasses a broad range of topics, from ceramics for thermal and environmental barrier coatings in power generation components to porous solids for filters and flow in medical applications. Faber is the co-founder and co-director of the Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts and also oversees a number of collaborative endeavors, especially with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Biography

Early life and education

Faber was the youngest daughter of an aspiring aeronautical engineer whose education was halted by the Great Depression.[6] As the only one of her siblings who had an interest in the sciences, she was encouraged by her father to pursue an education in engineering. An initial interest in chemistry evolved to an appreciation for ceramic engineering after Faber recognized its potential in solving many engineering problems. Faber eventually obtained her Bachelor of Science in Ceramic Engineering at the New York State College of Ceramics within Alfred University (1975).[2] She completed her Master of Science in Ceramic Science at Penn State University (1978) where she studied phase separation in glasses with Professor Guy Rindone.[2] After graduating with her MS, she worked for a year as a development engineer for The Carborundum Company in Niagara Falls, New York, on the development of silicon carbide for high performance applications such as engines.[7] Following her year in industry, Faber decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Materials Science at the University of California, Berkeley, which she completed in 1982.[2][8]

Teaching, recognition

Katherine Faber lecturing on mechanical behavior of solids

From 1982 to 1987, Faber served as Assistant and Associate Professor of Ceramic Engineering at the Ohio State University.[9] She participated in the first class of the Defense Science Study Group, a program which introduces outstanding American science and engineering professors to the United States’ security challenges (1985–1988).[10] From 1988 to 2014, she taught as Associate Professor, Professor, and Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University. During her time at Northwestern, she served as the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, overseeing more than $25 million in faculty research funds.[11] She went on to complete a 5-year term as department chair of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern, where she also served as the Chair of the University Materials Council (2001–2002), a collaborative group composed of directors of a number of materials programs from across the US and Canada.[2] Additionally, from 2005 to 2007 she sat on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Lab.[2] In 2014, she joined the teaching faculty at Caltech.[1]

From 2006 to 2007, Faber served as the President of the American Ceramic Society,[12] and in 2013 was named a Distinguished Life Member in recognition of her notable contributions to the ceramic and glass profession.[12] In 2014, Faber was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences class of fellows.[9]

Faber at the WiMSE Reception

She has also been recognized with:

  • IBM faculty development award (1984–1986)[2]
  • National Science Foundation (NSF) Presidential Young Investigator Award (1984–1989)[2]
  • Society of Women Engineers Distinguished Educator Award (1995)[2]
  • YWCA Achievement Award for Education (1997)[2]
  • NSF Creativity Extension Award (2001–2003)[2]
  • Fellowship in ASM International (2003)[2]
  • Pennsylvania State University College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Charles L. Hosler Alumni Scholar Medal (2004)[2]
  • NSF American Competitiveness and Innovation Fellow and Creativity Extension Award (2010)[11]
  • Toledo Glass and Ceramics Award, Michigan/Northwest Ohio Section of the American Ceramic Society (2012)[11]
  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2014)[11]
  • American Ceramic Society John Jeppson Award (2015)[13]

Work

Research

Faber's research is focused on fracture in brittle materials and mechanisms by which they can be strengthened and toughened.[1] Her current work comprises research into characterizing the behavior of high-temperature ceramic coatings under cyclic thermal loading, which has applications in improving engine efficiency and wear;[1] and the creation of high-temperature porous ceramics with increased strength and toughness, which have applications in filtration, energy storage, insulation, and medical devices.[1]

Faber heads many collaborative projects, including several with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Her research with JPL encompasses composite systems of graphite and hexagonal boron nitride for Hall-effect thrusters in spacecraft as well as the study of environmental degradation of composites in space.[14] Her research interests also include silicon-based ceramics and ceramic matrix composites;[1] polymer-derived multifunctional ceramics;[12] graphite- and silicon carbide-based cellular ceramics synthesized from natural scaffolds, such as pyrolyzed wood;[12] and cultural heritage science,[9] with emphasis on porcelains and jades.[10]

Crack Deflection Model

Main Article: Faber-Evans model

Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Katherine Faber at UC Davis College of Engineering, Winter 2018

Katherine Faber and her PhD advisor, Anthony G. Evans, first introduced a materials of mechanics model designed to predict the enhancement of fracture toughness in ceramics. This is achieved by accounting for crack deflection around second-phase particles prone to microcracking within a matrix.[15] The model considers particle morphology, aspect ratio, spacing, and volume fraction of the second phase. Additionally, it accounts for the decrease in local stress intensity at the crack tip when deflection or bowing of the crack plane occurs.

Faber showed that by utilizing imaging techniques, the actual crack tortuosity can be determined, enabling the direct input of deflection and bowing angles into the model. The subsequent rise in fracture toughness is then contrasted with that of a flat crack in a plain matrix. The degree of toughening hinges on the mismatch strain resulting from thermal contraction incompatibility and the microfracture resistance at the particle/matrix interface.[16] This toughening effect becomes prominent when particles exhibit a narrow size distribution and are suitably sized.

Faber's analysis revealed that fracture toughness, regardless of morphology, is primarily determined by the most severe twisting of the crack front rather than its initial inclination. While the initial tilting of the crack front contributes to significant toughening in the case of disc-shaped particles, the twist component remains the dominant factor in enhancing toughness.[17] Additionally, she showed that the distribution of inter-particle spacing plays a crucial role in the toughening effect of spherical particles. Specifically, the toughness increases when spheres are in close proximity, causing twist angles to approach π/2. These insights by Faber formed the foundation for designing stronger two-phase ceramic materials. The Faber-Evans model is widely used by materials scientists to indicate that materials with approximately equiaxial grains can experience a fracture toughness increase of about twice the grain boundary value due to deflection effects.[18][19]

Initiatives

Faber is the co-founder and co-director of the Northwestern University–Art Institute of Chicago Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts (NU-ACCESS), a collaboration between Northwestern University and the Art Institute of Chicago in which advanced materials characterization and analytical techniques are used to further conservation science for historical artifacts.[2] NU-ACCESS, the first center of its kind, provides opportunities for scientists and scholars from a variety of institutions to make use of the center's facilities to study their collections.[20]

Personal life

Katherine Faber at the 2013 ACS Awards

Faber is married to condensed matter physicist, and current president of the California Institute of Technology, Thomas F. Rosenbaum.[21] They began their careers at the California Institute of Technology in 2013 after Rosenbaum transitioned from his previous position as the John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor of Physics and university provost of The University of Chicago.[22] Together, they have two sons, Daniel and Michael. Apart from her research, Faber is a patron of the arts and is especially drawn to theater and art museums.

Faber and Rosenbaum have established several graduate fellowships and research funding opportunities for students. In 2014, she and Rosenbaum initiated a $100,000 graduate research fellowship at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, which provides summer research support to students with the aim of increasing representation of women in STEM fields.[23] Together, they created the Guy Rindone Graduate Research Fund (named after Faber's master’s thesis adviser) to help facilitate the choice of a research topic in the student's graduate education.[24] In 2017, she and her husband became the first to contribute to the Gordon and Betty Moore Graduate Fellowship Match at Caltech, and later initiated the Rosenbaum-Faber Family Graduate Fellowship, which aims to provide graduate students with the freedom to pursue their studies and possibly change their research based on unexpected research results.[25]

See also

Selected publications

Faber has authored over 150 papers, written three book chapters, and edited a book, Semiconductors and Semimetals: The Mechanical Properties of Semiconductors v. 37.[12][26] In 2003, She was recognized by the Institute for Scientific Information as a Highly Cited Author in Materials Science.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Faber Research Group". faber.caltech.edu. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Faber, Katherine | Faculty". Northwestern Engineering. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  3. ^ "Katherine T. Faber". Caltech Division of Engineering and Applied Science. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  4. ^ "News | Professor Faber Receives the John Jeppson Award". Caltech Materials Science. April 21, 2015. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  5. ^ Kamble, Mithil; Lakhnot, Aniruddha Singh; Koratkar, Nikhil; Picu, Catalin R. (June 1, 2020). "Heterogeneity-induced mesoscale toughening in polymer nanocomposites". Materialia. 11: 100673. doi:10.1016/j.mtla.2020.100673. ISSN 2589-1529.
  6. ^ "Katherine Faber". EngineerGirl. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  7. ^ "Katherine Faber". EngineerGirl. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  8. ^ Hatch, Sybil (2006). Changing Our World: True Stories of Women Engineers (1st ed.). Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers. ISBN 978-0-7844-0841-4.
  9. ^ a b c "Katherine T. Faber". The American Ceramic Society. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Madsen, Lynnette D. 1963– VerfasserIn. (February 2016). Successful women ceramic and glass scientists and engineers 100 inspirational profiles. ISBN 978-1-118-73360-8. OCLC 953526292. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ a b c d Madsen, Lynnette (2016). Successful Women Ceramic and Glass Scientists and Engineers: 100 Inspirational Profiles (1st ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-1-118-73360-8.
  12. ^ a b c d e "The American Ceramic Society announces selection of Faber, Gauckler, and Messing as 2013 Distinguished Life Members". The American Ceramic Society. July 22, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  13. ^ "John Jeppson Award Archives". The American Ceramic Society. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  14. ^ Chari, Celia S.; McEnerney, Bryan W.; Hofer, Richard R.; Wollmershauser, James A.; Gorzkowski, Edward P.; Faber, Katherine T. (2023). "High‐temperature carbothermal synthesis and characterization of graphite/h‐BN bimaterials". Journal of the American Ceramic Society. 106 (4): 2225–2239. doi:10.1111/jace.18927. ISSN 0002-7820.
  15. ^ Faber, K. T.; Evans, A. G. (April 1, 1983). "Crack deflection processes—I. Theory". Acta Metallurgica. 31 (4): 565–576. doi:10.1016/0001-6160(83)90046-9. ISSN 0001-6160.
  16. ^ Faber, K. T.; Evans, A. G. (April 1, 1983). "Crack deflection processes—II. Experiment". Acta Metallurgica. 31 (4): 577–584. doi:10.1016/0001-6160(83)90047-0. ISSN 0001-6160.
  17. ^ Faber, K.T.; Evans, Anthony G. (1983). "Intergranular Crack-Deflection Toughening in Silicon Carbide". Journal of the American Ceramic Society. 66 (6): C–94–C-95. doi:10.1111/j.1151-2916.1983.tb10084.x. ISSN 0002-7820.
  18. ^ Liu, Haiyan; Weisskopf, Karl-L.; Petzow, Gunter (1989). "Crack Deflection Process for Hot-Pressed Whisker-Reinforced Ceramic Composites". Journal of the American Ceramic Society. 72 (4): 559–563. doi:10.1111/j.1151-2916.1989.tb06175.x. ISSN 0002-7820.
  19. ^ Carter, David H.; Hurley, George F. (1987). "Crack Deflection as a Toughening Mechanism in SiC-Whisker-Reinforced MoSi2". Journal of the American Ceramic Society. 70 (4): C–79-C-81. doi:10.1111/j.1151-2916.1987.tb04992.x. ISSN 0002-7820.
  20. ^ "Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts - Northwestern University". scienceforart.northwestern.edu. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  21. ^ "Caltech Environmental Science and Engineering | News | Caltech Names Ninth President". Caltech Environmental Science and Engineering. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  22. ^ https://www.jpl.nasa.gov. "Caltech Announces New President". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Retrieved November 5, 2022. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  23. ^ "Rosenbaum-Faber gift to support women in STEM fields through Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering | Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering | The University of Chicago". pme.uchicago.edu. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  24. ^ "Couple creates graduate research fund in honor of former Penn State professor | Penn State University". www.psu.edu. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  25. ^ "Funding the Future". Caltech Campaign. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  26. ^ Faber, KAtherine T. Molloy, Kevin J. (1992). The mechanical properties of semiconductors. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-08-086434-1. OCLC 646758339.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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