Bruce W. Wessels

Bruce W. Wessels (1946 – April 7, 2024) was an American materials scientist and academic who spent most of his career at Northwestern University, where he held the Walter P. Murphy Professorship in Materials Science and Engineering. He founded the university's Electronic Materials Program and made contributions to semiconductor defect characterization, optoelectronic materials, and ferroelectric thin films.

Early life and education

Wessels was born in 1946 in Glen Cove, New York, and graduated from Glen Cove High School in 1964. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgy and Materials Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972.

Northwestern University

Wessels joined Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering as an assistant professor in 1977.

Research

Wessels's research focused on thin films and nanostructures for electronic, magnetic, and photonic applications. His publications appeared in journals including Nature Communications, Physical Review Letters, Journal of the American Chemical Society, and Applied Physics Letters.

He served as president of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) in 1996 and concurrently as president of the TMS Foundation. He was also an AIME Trustee from 1996 to 1997.

Personal life

Wessels resided in Wilmette, Illinois. He died on April 7, 2024, at age 77. He was survived by his wife, two children, eight grandchildren, and other family members.