W. Steven Johnson, MPRL Associate Director
Steven Johnson has a primary appointment in the School of Materials Science and Engineering with a joint appointment in the George W. Woodfuff School of Mechanical Engineering. He joined the Tech faculty in 1994. A Senior Scientist at NASA Langley prior to joining Tech, Steve worked on the Material Durability Program for the High-Speed Civil Transport and served as principal investigator for developing life-prediction methodologies to be employed on the National AeroSpace Plane (NASP).
Dr. Johnson's current research is directed toward studying the durability of many advanced material systems used in extreme environments. His sponsors include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lockheed-Martin Corporation, the U. S. Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, Delta Air Lines, GE, Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, SouthWire and the Federal Aviation Administration. His research deals with both metal and polymer matrix composite materials, aluminum and titanium alloys, hybrid titanium composite laminates, and both bonded and bolted joints. Much of the research deals with high-temperature testing and advanced damage modeling, which includes fatigue and fracture analysis that incorporates induced thermal stresses, thermo-viscoplasticity, oxidation and general material degradation with time. Much of this research has supported high-profile national programs such as the F-22 stealth fighter, the futuristic supersonic High-Speed Civil Transport, the Next Generation Space Launch Vehicles, the Joint Strike Fighter and the new 787 Boeing composite commercial airliner.
Having received his M.S. and B.S. Degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Steve earned the doctorate from Duke University in 1979. He has been elected a Fellow of the American Society for Testing and Materials, a Fellow of ASM International, a Fellow of ASME and a Fellow of the American Society for Composites. He also served as Editor-in Chief of the Journal of Composites Technology and Research from 1990 to 2001. In addition to his MPRL responsibilities, Dr. Johnson is Director of the Composites Education and Research Center (CERC) at Georgia Tech.