Pradeep Rohatgi, UWM distinguished professor, materials science & engineering, ranked in the top 2% of the world’s scientists in a recent Stanford University study ranking global scientists, based on citations for research. The study also listed him in the top 200 materials scientists in the world.
The list was published in October by the non-profit PLOS Biology; it is based on citation matrices and counts the life-time contributions made by scientists from 1996-2019 and their single-year contributions based on 2019 data.
Rohatgi’s breakthroughs in metal matrix composites span more than 50 years. He has created foundry-producible “smart” metal matrix composites by combining metal alloys with materials from different classes to give them “smart” qualities. The composites and foams he has synthesized are ultralight, self healing, self cleaning and self lubricating.
These futuristic materials could be used to build smart products –water pipes that seal their own cracks, iPhones that heal themselves when dropped, and engines that conserve fuel by automatically dialing down internal friction.