Robert Rose

Research

Professor Emeritus Robert Rose conducted a broad range of research during his tenure with DMSE. He was particularly interested in microelectrochemistry and structures on the nanoscale and mesoscale as well as orthopedic biomaterials. Specifically, his group studied mechanical metallurgy of dislocations in tungsten, processing and solid-state physics of high field superconducting cables, corrosion of medical implants, and wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in hip replacements.

Biography

Professor Rose received a BS in physical metallurgy in 1958, and his doctorate in metallurgy and materials science in 1961, both from MIT. He was then hired as an assistant professor for DMSE, where he assisted in writing two of the four volumes of the a book series named The Structure and Properties of Materials, which defined material science as a separate discipline from metallurgy for the first time. He also developed alternative freshman educational programs and spent much of the latter two decades of his tenure leading Concourse, a program that offers small classes focused on fundamental human questions covering such topics as human nature, morality, happiness, and the role of science.