Dr. Gail Ludtka received her Ph.D. in Metallurgy and Materials Science from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, PA.  She was the first woman to successfully achieve the PH.D. degree from this department at CMU.  Dr. Ludtka was also awarded the Amelia Earhart Gold Medal and Fellowship for her Ph.D. thesis research entitled, “Fatigue Crack Growth in Beta III Titanium alloys”.  She began her R&D career at the General Motors Technical Center, working in Laser and Electron beam thermal processing to improve engine wear and reduce residual stresses in critical engine components.  Over the next ~10 years of her career Dr. Ludtka worked on National interest programs in the classified arena in the Metals Processing and Materials Characterization areas, receiving several DOE, Martin Marietta and Y12 Technical Achievement and Awards of Excellence awards for her work and received a patent for her alloy development research.  Dr. Ludtka was awarded the American Women in Science (AWIS) Distinguished Technology Achievement Award in 1993.  Beginning in 1993, Gail was instrumental in developing the "Metals Processing Laboratory USer Program" (MPLUS), a DOE designated User Facility, and acted as the Technical Program Manager and Team Coordinator for this Program.  During her involvement, the MPLUS program grew from just a pilot program to over a million dollar program.  Gail’s expertise includes the development and implementation of optimized materials performance and materials processing through the optimization of microstructure and validated parametric computer simulations; characterization of phase transformation kinetics; and physical and mechanical metallurgy of structural alloys.  She has been active in the Metals Processing and Materials Characterization areas working on cast irons, steels, titanium, aluminum and uranium alloys.  Gail's current research programs include R&D, as well as the application of advanced and novel materials processing technologies, e.g., infrared and magnetic field processing technologies for materials processing applications, and the use of thermodynamic and modeling software for predicting phase equilibria and materials processing controls for industrial applications. 

Gail is a member of the Scientific Honor Society Sigma Xi and the professional societies of ASM International, the Heat Treating Society, and the TMS-AIME, has authored/co-authored over 50 technical papers and is inventor/co-inventor on 9 inventions/invention disclosures.