Michael Titus

Associate Professor of Materials Engineering

Keywords: investment casting, thermodynamic modeling, high temperature testing

Michael S. Titus is an Associate Professor in the School of Materials Engineering at Purdue University. His research focuses on the accelerated design and understanding of high-temperature structural alloys by integrating first-principles calculations with targeted experimental validation. He is particularly interested in identifying the electronic origins of deformation mechanisms—such as Suzuki segregation and planar defect formation within complex concentrated alloys and superalloys to predict material behavior under extreme conditions. His work also spans thermodynamic modeling of oxidation in refractory-based alloys and the development of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) tools for rapid alloy discovery.

Prior to joining the faculty at Purdue, Professor Titus was an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research in Germany. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his B.S. in Engineering Physics from The Ohio State University. A recipient of the NSF CAREER Award and the ASM Bradley Stoughton Award for Young Teachers, he is an active leader in the professional materials community, very recently serving on the TMS Board of Directors. His collaborative research often bridges the gap between fundamental electronic structure theory and industrial applications, involving partnerships with organizations such as Haynes International, ATI, and defense OEMs.

Current Projects:

• METAL – Purdue Hub for investment casting and smart foundry workforce development program
• Effects of heat treatment and thermal exposure on high temperature strength and stability of Haynes(R) 233(R) Ni-based superalloy

Education

• Ph.D. Materials, University of California Santa Barbara, 2015
• B.S. Engineering Physics, The Ohio State University, 2010
• Visiting Professor, IMDEA Materials, Madrid, Spain, 2023-2024
• Assistant Professor, School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 2016-2023
• Summer Faculty Fellow, Air Force Research Laboratory, 2016
• Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Iron Research, 2015-2016

Research Interest

Click here to read more on Professor Titus’ Faculty Feature article

Michael’s current research interests include:

• Rapid discovery and development of high temperature structural materials
• Solute interactions with crystalline defects
• Thermodynamic modeling and experimental validation of high temperature oxidation