Head of School
Professor Michael Ferry
- BEng Hons I (1989), University of Wollongong
- PhD (1994), The University of New South Wales
Science
School of Materials Science & Engineering
Professional Experience
- Head of School, School of Materials Science & Engineering, UNSW Sydney (2019- )
- Professor, School of Materials Science & Engineering, UNSW Sydney (2008- )
- Deputy Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals (2005-14)
- Associate Professor, School of Materials Science & Engineering, UNSW Sydney (2004-07)
- Senior Lecturer, School of Materials Science & Engineering, UNSW Sydney (2000-03)
- Lecturer, Department of Materials Engineering, University of Wollongong (1996-99)
- EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Materials, University of Manchester (1994-96)
- Metallurgical Engineer, Alcan Australia Limited (1989-94)
Visiting Academic Positions
- Baosteel Talent Development Institute Teaching Professor, Baosteel, China (2013-16)
- Visiting Professor, School of Materials Science & Engineering, National University of Singapore (2012-13)
- Visiting Professor, Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne (2008-11)
- Visiting Senior Fellow, School of Materials, University of Manchester (2004)
- Visiting Fellow, Department of Metallurgy & Materials Science, University of Cambridge (2002)
Professional Memberships
- Chartered Materials Professional, Australia (CMP, 2020)
- Fellow of Institution of Engineers Australia (FIEAust, 2007)
- Fellow of Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (UK) (FIMMM, 2006)
- Chartered Engineer (UK) (CEng, 1996)
- Chartered Professional Engineer (Australia) (CPEng, 1996)
- Member of Institute of Materials Engineering, Australia (IMEA, 1996)
- Member of Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, USA (TMS, 1996)
Phone
02 9385 4453
E-mail
Location
School of Materials Science & Engineering
Hilmer Building (E10)
UNSW Sydney
Australia
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
I have received funding over the years from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and other sources for research projects and centres. ARC LIEF funding has also been received for a broad range of processing and characterisation facilities for understanding the structure and properties of materials.
ARC Discovery Grants (exc. ARC COE program grants from 2005-14)
- Unlocking the diverse property profile of Mg alloys via microstructural engineering (2019-23)
- An integrated crystallographic approach to understanding annealing mechanisms (2018-21)
- Ultra-lightweight alloys with unique multi-dimensional property profiles (2015-17)
- A new class of poly-amorphous alloy exhibiting outstanding damage tolerance (2012-14)
- The nature of internal interfaces in annealed metals by 3-D FIB tomography (2009-11)
- 3-D study of internal interface boundaries in annealed metals by FIB tomography (2005-07)
- Thermal stability of nanocrystalline alloys produced by severe plastic straining (2003-05)
- Texture enhancement by inoculation in as-cast metallic strip (2002-04)
ARC Linkage Grants
- Reducing the environmental impact of passenger vehicles using lightweight alloy components, with Cold Forge (2015-17)
- Reducing the environmental impact of steel making through direct strip casting, with Baosteel (2012-15)
- Atomic-scale insights into interfaces in ultrafine-grained low-solute alloys, with Prof. Cairney (USyd) & Zeiss Ltd (2012-14)
- The design of die-castable bulk metallic glasses exhibiting superior mechanical performance, with CJC Ltd Korea (2012-14)
- High resolution EBSD of fine grained alloys (2004-05)
- Silicon on sapphire using solid-phase epitaxial techniques, with Perigrine Electronics (2003-05)
- Optimising the formability of strip-cast low carbon steel, with BlueScope Steel (2002-04)
- The peritectic reaction and surface quality of continuous cast steel, with BlueScope Steel (2000-02)
- Cast structure development during simulation of thin-slab casting, with BHP Research (1999-01)
- Texture and formability of ultra-low carbon steel, with BHP Billiton (1997-99)
- Microstructure and texture of strip-cast steels, with BHP Billiton (1997-99)
ARC LIEF Grants (multiple chief investigators)
- A 4-D X-Ray Microscopy Laboratory (2020)
- An upgraded nanoindenter facility with in-situ Raman at high temperature (2020)
- Maintaining Intersect member access to the NCI peak supercomputing facility (2017)
- Distributed memory cluster (2016)
- High temperature atomic structure and physical property analysis facility (2015)
- Quench and deformation dilatometer for studying materials science (2014)
- Renew Intersect consortium's share of NCI’s peak facility (2014)
- Thermomechanical processing facility for the light metals (2013)
- Joint processing facility for the production of far-from-equilibrium alloy structures (2012)
- National in-situ transmission electron microscopic facilities (2012)
- Dynamic Phase Behaviour Characterisation Facility for Nanostructured Interfaces (2011)
- High-temperature probes for investigating phase transitions (2010)
- FIB / SEM for Nanometre Scale Characterisation and Fabrication (2010)
- A National Facility for Light Metal Powder Processing (2008)
- High-Resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) Platform (2008)
- Laser Flash Thermophysical Properties Analyser (2007)
- Near Net Shaped Casting and Alloy Development Facility (2007)
- Combinatorial deposition and characterization facility for alloy thin film materials (2006)
- Surface mechanical property analysis facility (2005)
- Advanced deformation simulation laboratory (2005)
- Mechanical property investigation facility for development of advanced materials (2000)
Membership of Local & International Centres, Hubs & Institutes
- UNSW Centre for Advanced Solid and Liquid based Electronics and Optics (2020- )
- UNSW Materials and Manufacturing Futures Institute (2018- )
- SJTU International Light Metals Innovation Center (2016-21)
- UNSW-SJTU Innovation Hub (2015-18)
- Baosteel-Australia Joint Research Centre (2012-)
- Australia-China Research Centre for Light Metals (2013-15)
- Australia-China Joint Research Centre For Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials (2013-15)
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals (2005-14)
- ARC Research Network for Advanced Materials (2004-06)
- BHP-UoW Steel Research Institute (1996-2000)
International Student Exchange Education Grants
- National Science Foundation IRES Grant: NSF#1261525 (2013-16)
- National Science Foundation IRES Grant: NSF#1357113 (2014-17)
- National Science Foundation IRES Grant: NSF#1129412 (2011-14)
- NSF Materials World Network Grant: NSF#0807240 (2008-12)
- International Expert, Plan 111 International Advanced Light Metals Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2016-21)
- Baosteel Talent Development Institute Professor (2013-16)
- Outstanding Collaborative Research Award, Baosteel Research Institute, China (2017)
- Outstanding Product Development Award, Ruipa Technology (2016)
- Outstanding Contribution Award: Australia-China Symposium on Biomaterials and Applications, Xi'an, China (2013)
- CNRS Fellowship, École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Étienne, France (2009-10)
- EPSRC Fellowship, School of Materials, University of Manchester, UK (2004)
- UNSW European Fellowship, University of Cambridge, UK (2002)
- Institute of Materials Engineering Australia Meritorious Service Award (1998)
- Member, ARC ERA Research Evaluation Committee (2018)
- Director, Advanced Alloy Holdings Pty Ltd (2016- )
- Member, International Committee of International Conference Series on Recrystallization and Grain Growth (2010- )
- Member, International Advisory Group of The Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility (2008-15)
- Member, Board of Review of Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A (2000- )
- Member, Australasian Committee of LMT2021, Melbourne, Australia (2021)
- Member, Organising Committee of NANO2020, Melbourne (2020)
- Member, Organising Committee of IUMRS-ICA, Perth, Australia (2019)
- Member, Organising Committee of NanoSPD-7, Sydney, Australia (2017)
- Member, Australian Organising Committee of PRICM-9, Kyoto, Japan (2016)
- Australian Chair, Symposium on BMGs, Nanocrystalline & Ultrafine-Grain Materials, PRICM-8, Waikoloa, USA (2013)
- Member, Organising Committee of Rex&GG-5, Sydney, Australia (2013)
- Australian Chair, Symposium on Bulk Metallic Glasses & Nanomaterials, PRICM-7, Cairns, Australia (2010)
My Research Supervision
Project Topics:
- Design of new classes of ultralight alloys with unique property profiles
- Design of new classes of compositionally complex alloys
- Processing and properties of thin film and bulk metallic glasses and their composites
- Recovery/recrystallization mechanisms in deformed single-phase and two-phase alloys
- Engineered microstructures by additive manufacturing and other net-shape methods
- Computational materials science and engineering
Staff and Students:
- Dr Martin Xu – Physical metallurgy and advanced processing
- Dr David Miskovic – Materials design and processing
- Murray Sullivan (PhD candidate) Development of bio-metallic glass composites and methods for healthcare industry 5.0
- Chenze Li (PhD candidate) Jointly with Xiaopeng Li, Mech Eng – – Additive manufacturing of lightweight high entropy alloys
- Hao Su (MSc candidate) – Structure and properties of ultralight magnesium alloys
Recent PhD Completions:
- Michael Dela Cruz (PhD, 2023) Jointly with Xiaopeng Li, Mech Eng – Additive manufacturing of shape memory alloys
- Hui Kong (PhD, 2023) Jointly with Xiaopeng Li, Mech Eng – Selective laser melting of high entropy alloys
- Thomas Xin (PhD, 2022) – Spinodal strengthening in magnesium lithium alloys
- Qijing Sun (PhD, 2020) – Ultrastable thin film metallic glasses
- Song Tang (PhD, 2020) – Unique property profiles in magnesium lithium alloys
- Li Xianchao (PhD, 2019) – Thermomechanical processing of duplex stainless steels
- Yu Chen (PhD, 2019) – Structure and properties of in situ metallic glass composites
- Caitlin Healy (PhD, 2018) – Development of precious metal high entropy alloys
- Scott Gleason (PhD, 2018) – Biocompatible metallic glass thin films
- Nicholas Hamilton (PhD, 2017) – MD simulations of the structure and properties of metallic glasses
- Patrick Conway (PhD, 2017) – Development of lightweight high entropy alloys
- Lance Tang (PhD, 2017) – High specific strength and corrosion resistant magnesium alloys
- Michael La Robina (PhD, 2017) – Extreme temperature materials using cold crucible technology
- David Miskovic (PhD, 2016) – MgZnCa metallic glasses for use as bioresorbable implants
- Jiaqi Duan (PhD, 2016) – Roll bonding and grain stability of low solute alloys
- Jacky Cao (PhD, 2015) – Production and properties of Al-based metallic glasses
- Karl Shamlaye (PhD, 2014) – Processing and properties of ex situ BMG composite sheets
- Fitri Wahid (PhD, 2014) – Production and properties of Al-based metallic glasses
- Olga Biletska (PhD, 2014) – Lightweight in situ BMG composites
- Nasima Afrin (PhD, 2013) – 3D-EBSD of deformation microstructures
- Jake Cao (PhD, 2013) – Processing and properties of biocompatible metallic glasses
- Gregory Guo (PhD, 2012) – Processing and properties of multifunctional TiNbO alloys
- Oday Al-Buhamad (PhD, 2010) – Microstructure and properties of multilayered Al alloys
Some Recent Student/Staff Publications:
- Xin T; Zhao Y; Mahjoub R; Jiang J; Yadav A; Nomoto K; Niu R; Tang S; Ji F; Quadir Z; Miskovic D; Daniels J; Xu W; Liao X; Chen LQ; Hagihara K; Li X; Ringer S; Ferry M, 2021, 'Ultrahigh specific strength in a magnesium alloy strengthened by spinodal decomposition', Science Advances, vol. 7, http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf3039, ROS ID: 1633865
- Tang S; Xin T; Xu W; Miskovic D; Sha G; Quadir Z; Ringer S; Nomoto K; Birbilis N; Ferry M, 2019, 'Precipitation strengthening in an ultralight magnesium alloy', Nature Communications, vol. 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-08954-z, ROS ID: 1426855
- Hamilton N; Ferry M, 2018, 'ggtern: Ternary Diagrams Using ggplot2', Journal of Statistical Software, vol. 87, pp. 1 - 17, http://dx.doi.org/10.18637/jss.v087.c03, ROS ID: 1398252
- Mahjoub R; Laws KJ; Stanford N; Ferry M, 2018, 'General trends between solute segregation tendency and grain boundary character in aluminum - An ab inito study', Acta Materialia, vol. 158, pp. 257 - 268, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2018.07.069, ROS ID: 1371935
- Xu W; Birbilis N; Sha G; Wang Y; Daniels JE; Xiao Y; Ferry M, 2015, 'A high-specific-strength and corrosion-resistant magnesium alloy', Nature Materials, vol. 14, pp. 1229 - 1235, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmat4435, ROS ID: 777946
- Laws KJ; Miracle DB; Ferry M, 2015, 'A predictive structural model for bulk metallic glasses', Nature Communications, vol. 6, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9123, ROS ID: 761581
My Teaching
- Physical Properties of Materials
- Thermodynamics & Phase Equilibria
- Crystallography & X-ray Diffraction
- Dislocation Mechanisms
- Phase Transformations
- Thermomechanical Processing
- Crystallographic Texture & Properties