Stefano Curtarolo

Edmund T. Pratt Jr. School Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

RESEARCH FIELDS

  • Artificial Intelligence Materials Science
  • Autonomous Materials Design
  • Computational Materials Science
  • High-Entropy Disordered and Amorphous Systems
  • Materials for Energy Applications
  • Materials for Aerospace Applications
  • Materials for Deep Space Exploration

The research is multidisciplinary and makes use of state of the art techniques from fields like materials science, chemistry, physics, quantum mechanics, mathematics and computer science.

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Edmund T. Pratt Jr. School Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
  • Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
  • Director of the Center for Autonomous Materials Design
  • Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Professor in the Department of Physics

Contact Information

Education

  • M.S. University of Padua (Italy), 1995
  • M.S. University of Padua (Italy), 1998
  • M.S. Pennsylvania State University, 1999
  • Sc.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003

Research Interests

Artificial Intelligence Materials Science; Autonomous Materials Design; Computational materials science; High-Entropy Disordered Systems; Materials for Energy Applications; Materials for Aerospace Applications. Prof. Curtarolo multidisciplinary research makes use of state-of-the-art techniques from fields like materials science, chemistry, physics, quantum mechanics, mathematics and computer science.

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • High Performance, Computing Modernization Program Flagship Award. DOD-HPC. 2021
  • Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher. Clarivate Analytics. 2021
  • Distinguished Visiting Professorship. Max-Plank Society, Fritz-Haber Instittue, Berlin. 2018
  • Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award. Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation. 2016
  • DOD-MURI Award, The Science of Entropy Stabilized Ultra-High Temperature Materials. Duke University, NCSU, UCSD, UVA. 2015
  • Fellow. American Physical Society. 2013
  • Stansell Distinguished Research Award. Duke University. 2013
  • DOD-MURI Award, Topological decompositions and spectral sampling algorithms for elements substitution in critical technologies. Duke University, UMD, UNT, CMU, BYU. 2013
  • NSF Early CAREER Award. National Science Foundation. 2008
  • Best Paper Award. CALPHAD (Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry). 2008
  • MRS Silver Medal Graduate Student Award. Materials Research Society. 2008
  • ONR Young Investigator Program Award. Office of Naval Research. 2008
  • Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. National Science Foundation. 2007
  • Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. President of the United States of America. 2007

Courses Taught

  • PHYSICS 791: Special Readings
  • ME 592: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science
  • ME 555: Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME 221L: Structure and Properties of Solids
  • EGR 95FS: First Year seminar in Focus
  • EGR 101L: Engineering Design and Communication

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Eckert, H., S. A. Kube, S. Divilov, A. Guest, A. C. Zettel, D. Hicks, S. D. Griesemer, et al. “Soliquidy: a descriptor for atomic geometrical confusion (Accepted).” Npj Computational Materials 11, no. 1 (December 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-025-01529-1.
  • Filipović, S., W. G. Fahrenholtz, G. E. Hilmas, N. Obradović, and S. Curtarolo. “Synergystic properties of dual phase (Hf,Ti,Zr)B2–(Hf,Ti,Zr)C ceramics (Accepted).” Journal of the European Ceramic Society 45, no. 12 (September 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.117448.
  • D’Amico, P., A. Catellani, A. Ruini, S. Curtarolo, M. Fornari, M. Buongiorno Nardelli, and A. Calzolari. “Magnetic transparent conductors for spintronic applications.” Acta Materialia 289 (May 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2025.120850.
  • Lund, E. T., S. Sohn, A. van de Walle, S. Curtarolo, D. Hofmann, and J. Schroers. “Tension-compression asymmetry of shear band stability in bulk metallic glasses.” Materialia 40 (May 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2025.102408.
  • Smith, S. M., W. G. Fahrenholtz, G. E. Hilmas, and S. Curtarolo. “Intermediate stage densification kinetics of high-entropy ceramics during spark plasma sintering.” Journal of the European Ceramic Society 45, no. 5 (May 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2024.117136.