Barmak Named 2026 MRS Fellow

Katayun Barmak, the Philips Electronics Professor of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics in Columbia Engineering’s Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, has been named to the 2026 class of Materials Research Society (MRS) Fellows.

Barmak was recognized “For outstanding contributions to our understanding of solid state phase transformations and structure evolution of metallic films for electronic and magnetic applications, and for dedicated service to the materials community.”

The MRS Fellow (“FMRS”) title honors members for exceptional research achievements and significant contributions to advancing materials research globally. Each year, the number of new Fellows is limited to just 0.2% of the society’s regular membership, making it a highly selective distinction reserved for those with sustained engagement in MRS activities.

According to the organization, the large number of strong nominations received annually makes the selection process highly competitive, underscoring both the prestige of the program and the excellence within the materials community.

The newly elected class of MRS Fellows will be formally recognized at the 2026 MRS Spring Meeting, scheduled for April 26-May 1, 2026, in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.

About Katayun Barmak:
Prof. Barmak probes the nature of materials in order to understand their properties and how to engineer them. Such work aids the development of new and improved materials for engineering systems. 

She investigates the differences in materials structure at macro-, micro-, and nano-scales and uncovers the impact these differences have on a material’s properties and ultimately the performance of engineered systems they are made for. In her work in Columbia Nano Initiative’s new Electron Microscopy lab, she studies matter at magnifications not possible with optical microscopes. Her areas of particular interest are materials synthesis, structure and phase transformations.

Barmak obtained her BA (First Class Hons.) in materials science in 1983 and a MA in natural sciences, metallurgy, and materials science in 1987 from the University of Cambridge in England. She earned a SM in metallurgy in 1985 and a PhD in materials science in 1989 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She joined Columbia Engineering in 2011 as the Philips Electronics Professor of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics and Materials Science Engineering and became Director of the Materials Science and Engineering Program in 2013. Previously, she was a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University from 1999-2011 and served on the faculty at Lehigh University from 1992-1998, where she also co-directed the Thin Film Laboratory. Prior to her appointment at Lehigh, Barmak spent three years at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center and IBM East Fishkill development laboratory and was a visiting scientist at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center from 1998-2004.