MetSoc Distinguished Materials Scientist Award
The award recognizes highly significant contributions in the field of materials engineering. The Materials Science and Engineering Section of The Metallurgy & Materials Society of CIM administers the award.

2023 Recipient
Warren Poole
University of British Columbia
Citation: Recognizing outstanding contributions to structure-property relationships in light weight metals and high strength steels.
Warren Poole is Professor in the Department of Materials Engineering at The University of British Columbia and holds the Canada Research Chair in Through Process Modelling of Advanced Structural Materials and the Rio Tinto Aluminium Chair in Materials Process Engineering. He obtained his Ph.D. at McMaster University (1993) followed by a NSERC Post Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Cambridge, UK prior to joining UBC in 1994. Professor Poole has published over 200 journal and conference papers related to the deformation, fracture and microstructure evolution in light alloys and steels.
Professor Poole was Department Head of Materials Engineering (2008-2018) and is currently the inaugural Director of Applied Science newest engineering program, Manufacturing Engineering, which runs on both the UBCO and UBCV campuses.
He is the recipient of the 2017 Acta Materialia Holloman Award, the Dean’s Medal of Distinction (2017), the Canadian Metal Physics Award, a Killam Research Fellowship, has given over 75 invited talks and was a co-recipient of the Alan Blizzard Award for excellence in teaching. Professor Poole was elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineers in 2021.
2022 – P. Patnaik | 2007 – M. Militzer | 1992 – I. Ritchie |
2021 – M. Brochu | 2006 – H. Mostaghaci | 1991 – W.R. Tyson |
2020 – D. Li | 2005 – H. King | 1990 – D.J. Lloyd |
2019 – Frank Cheng | 2004 – D. Wilkinson | 1989 – W. Wallace |
2018 – Xinjin Cao | 2003 – S. Yue | 1988 – G.C. Weatherly |
2017 – P. Wanjara | 2002 – M. Chaturvedi | 1987 – L.R. Morris |
2016 – D. Chen | 2001 – G. Palumbo | 1986 – J.D. Boyd |
2015 – A. Alfantazi | 2000 – U. Erb | 1985 – A. Mitchell |
2014 – R. Ravindran | 1999 – I.V. Samarasekera | 1984 – J.A. Schey |
2013 – A. McLean | 1998 – R.A.L. Drew | 1983 – D.B. McCutcheon |
2012 – Michel Rigaud | 1997 – M. Sahoo | 1982 – J.J. Jonas |
2011 – Arthur Pelton | 1996 – S.R. MacEwen | 1981 – E.G. Behal |
2010 – No Award | 1995 – B. Hawbolt | 1980 – E.C.W. Perryman |
2009 – Gary R. Purdy | 1994 – J.I. Dickson | 1979 – J.D. Embury |
2008 – F. Ajersch | 1993 – J.E. Gruzleski |
- Fill in the contribution box – a summary of why this person is being nominated (see item 3) with any information that is not included in the CV.
- Fill in the citation – in 15 words, what this person is being recognized for.
- Nominator uploads either a concise CV of the nominee or in the case of a process, a recent paper, relevant to the process being nominated, to the website. Nominators should consider approaching nominees themselves to request the CV. In the case of a process, the recent paper is likely already available. The CV should contain the following information:
- Major contributions relevant to the award
- A record of at least five relevant patents and papers authored by the nominee plus a count of other patents and papers.
- A service history related to CIM/MetSoc if applicable
- A record of the years of membership in CIM.
- A listing of volunteer activities if applicable
- A listing of awards previously received
- A listing of academic achievements
Please refer to the REQUIREMENTS & PROCESS FOR NOMINATION webpage.
General Policies
- A nominator can put forward only one candidate up for nomination in each award category.
- No member of MetSoc Executive Board shall be nominated while in office. The nomination will be held until the term on the executive board is expired.
- Each award shall be made from time to time as circumstances warrant with no more than one award recipient per year.
- The nominators are responsible for verifying that all conditions of the award have been satisfied and all procedures were properly followed in making the nomination.
- All nominations will stand for three years.
- The adjudication of the award shall be made by the MetSoc Awards Committee.
- The award shall be presented at the Awards Banquet of the Conference of Metallurgists.
- Posthumous awards will be allowed only if the candidate has already been shortlisted.
- Self-nominations are not permitted.
The award nomination program is closed for 2023.