PeopleIn Memoriam
The Materials Science Department pays tribute to the members who are no longer with us, and who have helped build and shape the Department into what it is today.
Morris E. Fine
Morris E. Fine, 
the Walter P. Murphy Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering and Technological Institute Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering, passed away Oct. 1, 2015 at age 97.
Read about Morris' life and work
Julia Weertman
Julia Weertman, Walter P. Murphy Professor Emeritus of Materials Science
and Engineering passed away July 31, 2018 at age 92. She was the first woman to chair a materials science department in the United States.
Read about Julia's life and work
Johannes (Hans) Weertman
Johannes Weertman, Walter P. Murphy Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University, passed away at age 93 on October 13, 2018. Weertman island, An island in the Antarctic, was named in his honor for the work in geophysics and study of glaciers and ice sheets.
Read more about Johannes' life and work
Bruce Wessels
Bruce Wessels, Walter P. Murphy Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering and former chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), passed away at age 77 on April 7, 2024. He will be remembered for his notable contributions to the study of thin films and nanostructures for electronic, magnetic, and photonic materials applications, and his passion for professional service and scholarship at Northwestern Engineering and beyond.
Read more about Bruce's life and work