Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Research Initiatives and Partnerships, College of Engineering
Teddy and Wilton Hawkins Distinguished Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Elizabeth Dickey’s research focuses on developing processing-structure-property relationships for material systems in which the macroscopic physical properties (mechanical, electrical, thermal, etc.) are governed by grain boundaries or internal interfaces. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the role of grain boundary chemistry on electrical and chemical transport. In addition, she is interested in understanding the role of microstructure and interfaces on the mechanical properties of eutectic ceramic composites, which are being developed for high-temperature and armor applications. Her research involves using an array of analytical techniques, in particular electron microscopy and spectroscopy, to understand the structure and chemistry of internal defects in materials.
Dickey received her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Northwestern University. Before joining CMU, she spent a decade with the Materials Science and Engineering Department at North Carolina State University (NCSU) as a professor, and later as associate department head. She has more than 200 publications in these areas with more than 20,000 citations. Her awards and honors include:
Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University
B.S. Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky
CMU Engineering
Materials Science and Engineering department chair appointed as Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Research Initiatives and Partnerships
Materials Science and Engineering
Three faculty members from the department of materials science and engineering at Carnegie Mellon will work on recently funded projects under the National Science Foundation’s Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future program.
MRS Bulletin
MSE Head Elizabeth Dickey spoke to the MRS Bulletin Materials News Podcast about her research on how ferroelectricity can be induced in materials via stacking.
Materials Science and Engineering
Elizabeth Dickey has been named a 2025 Materials Research Society Fellow in recognition of her accomplishments in the use of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy to advance the understanding of nanomaterials, dielectric materials, ferroelectric switching, and high entropy oxides.
Materials Science and Engineering
The newly discovered method of layering non-ferroelectric and ferroelectric materials could be applied to semiconductor and optoelectronic devices.
Mellon College of Science
Elizabeth Dickey is researching a new class of metal nanoparticles as part of a New Initiatives grant from the Kaufman Foundation.
The American Ceramic Society
MSE Head Elizabeth Dickey attended the American Ceramic Society’s 125th Annual meeting at the Materials Science & Technology technical meeting and exhibition where she delivered the Robert B. Sosman lecture and was honored as this year’s Sosman awardee.
Materials Science and Engineering
Doctoral and postdoctoral scholars from around the country convened at CMU for a program focused on developing their academic careers in MSE.
Materials Science and Engineering
Eight students participated in a 10-week summer research program at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.
Physics World
MSE Head Elizabeth Dickey and her team of researchers are collaborating with groups at Penn State University to study ferroelectric materials. Together, the groups are combining their skills to analyze the structure of alloyed aluminum nitride films using transmission electron microscopy.
Materials Science and Engineering
A team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Penn State University are exploring electronic materials that have potential to make computer processors more energy efficient.
Materials Science and Engineering
Two CMU MSE students had the opportunity to perform cutting-edge research in Sheffield, England as part of The International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) this past summer.