Tao Sun Selected for TMS Brimacombe Medal

Northwestern Engineering’s Tao Sun has been named a 2027 Brimacombe Medalist by The Minerals, Metals, and Materials (TMS) Society. 

Sun, a professor of mechanical engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering, will be honored in March 2027 during the TMS Annual Meeting. This mid-career award recognizes individuals with sustained excellence and achievement in business, technology, education, public policy, or science related to materials science and engineering and with a record of continuing service to the profession.

A Clarivate Highly Cited researcher, Sun runs the Fundamental Advancements in Science and Technology for Advanced Manufacturing (FAST-AM) Lab. Sun’s team studies the fundamental processes that govern advanced manufacturing using state-of-the-art in situ and ex situ characterization techniques. Their research examines energy-matter interactions, heat and mass flow, defect formation, and material structure evolution across a range of additive manufacturing processes. As a new venture, his team is developing energy-efficient and cost-effective technologies for manufacturing batteries that offer enhanced performance.

Supporting more than 10,000 professional and student members on six continents, TMS is a professional society that connects minerals, metals, and materials scientists and engineers who work in industry, academia, and government positions around the world.