Researcher

My Expertise

Mechanisms of microstructure and texture evolution during solidification, solid-state phase transformation and deformation & annealing with particular emphasis on agile manufacturing processes.

Fields of Research (FoR)

Metals and Alloy Materials, Composite and Hybrid Materials, Biomaterials, Physical Metallurgy, Theory and Design of Materials

Biography

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...view more

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 (CMatP, 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)

My Grants

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)

  • Additive manufacturing opttimisation of aluminium alloys (2025-27)
  • Unlocking the diverse property profile of Mg alloys via microstructural engineering (2019-24)
  • 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

  • Next-Generation Advanced Ammunition Alloy Production Technologies, with Thales & AAH (2024-26)
  • Reducing the environmental impact of passenger vehicles using lightweight alloy components, with Cold Forge (2015-18)
  • 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 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) 

My Qualifications

  • BEng Hons I (1989), University of Wollongong
  • PhD (1994), The University of New South Wales

My Awards

  • 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)

My Research Supervision


Currently supervising

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

 

HDR Students:

  • Boyu Pang (MSc candidate) – Structure and properties of ultralight magnesium alloys
  • Jin Jia (PhD candidate) – understanding oxidation and corrosion in MgLiAl alloys
  • Murray Sullivan (PhD candidate) Development of bio-metallic glass composites and methods for healthcare industry 5.0

 

Recent HDR Completions:

  • Chenze Li (PhD, 2025) Jointly with Xiaopeng Li, Mech Eng – Additive manufacturing of lightweight high entropy alloys
  • Hao Su (MSc, 2024) – Structure and properties of ultralight magnesium alloys
  • 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 Engagement

  • 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 Teaching

  • Physical Properties of Materials
  • Thermodynamics & Phase Equilibria
  • Crystallography & X-ray Diffraction
  • Dislocation Mechanisms
  • Phase Transformations
  • Thermomechanical Processing
  • Crystallographic Texture & Properties

 

 

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Location

Science
School of Materials Science & Engineering
Hilmer Building (E10)
UNSW Sydney
Australia

Contact

02 9385 4453

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ORCID as entered in ROS

orcid_icon https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5153-5724

UNSW Sydney NSW 2052 Australia Telephone +61 2 93851000
Authorised by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
UNSW CRICOS Provider Code: 00098G ABN: 57 195 873 179

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