Diran Apelian, director of Worcester Polytechnic Institute‘s Metal Processing Institute, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
NAE is an organization of the nation’s top engineers, elected by their peers for contributions to their fields.
In addition to his work at the Metal Processing Institute, Apelian is the WPI Howmet Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
Apelian is also president of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. His research topics include sustainability issues, as well as molten metal processing, new aluminum alloys and casting techniques.
Apelian joined WPI in 1990 as a university provost. Besides his work in his scientific field, he is an advocate for holistic engineering education that includes societal and policy issues as well as scientific and technical training.
He has an undergraduate degree in metallurgical engineering from Drexel University and doctor of science degree in material science from MIT. Before going to WPI, he worked at Bethlehem Steel’s Homer Research Laboratories and then as a faculty member at Drexel.
