Christopher DellaCorte
Title: Director of The University of Akron Engineering Tribology Laboratory, Timken Endowed Chair
Dept/Program: Mechanical Engineering
Office: AERC 311B
Phone: 330-972-7713
Email: cdellacorte@uakron.edu
Curriculum Vitae: Download in PDF format
Biography
Dr. Christopher DellaCorte joined UA in 2022 as the Director of the Timken Engineered Surfaces Laboratory and Endowed Chair. Previously, he worked for NASA as a Senior Technologist for Tribology and Rotating Machinery. He is a highly visible and widely recognized leader in the field of tribology, mechanical components and aerospace technology. His career experience includes research on longstanding extreme tribology challenge areas such as the high temperatures, high speeds and high loads often encountered in spacecraft and aircraft. He has published over 140 journal articles, government technical reports, book chapters and conference papers. His innovative research has resulted in eleven patents related to tribological coatings, high performance bearing alloys, materials processing, and mechanical components. He has a strong track record in forensic failure analysis of mechanical systems and has been frequently called upon to solve important and vexing NASA and industrial problems.
Research
Dr. DellaCorte’s research has been awarded major recognition by industry (R&D 100 awards), government and prominent professional societies. His work on coatings technology was recognized as NASA’s Government and Commercial Invention of the Year for 2018 and his pioneering work on NiTi alloys received the 2019 ASM Engineering Materials Achievement Award. He has helped solve major bearing and other mechanical system problems on the International Space Station (ISS) and for NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS).
Education
- Ph.D. Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University (1989)
- M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University (1987)
- B.S. Fluid and Thermal Sciences, Case Western Reserve University (1986)