Dr. Leo Christodoulou, a renowned advanced materials scientist and strategic advisor at Boeing, will speak about critical technology issues and solutions as part of CSU’s Innovation Leadership Series.
Christodoulou will speak at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 at the Hilton Fort Collins, 425 W. Prospect Road. The event is free and open to the public. However, registration is required.
Christodoulou is an enterprise domain leader for structures technology for Boeing and works across the aerospace company’s many businesses to provide focus on technical priorities and maximum value for structures-related research investments.
Innovation Leadership Series
The Innovation Leadership Series was launched earlier this year by CSU’s Office of the Vice President for Research as a way to introduce global innovations – and leading innovators – from the public and private sector to the university and Northern Colorado.
Christodoulou is the second speaker in the series. The first was Mary Wagner, the senior vice president of global research & development, quality and regulatory and concept innovation at Starbucks.
“We are excited to bring thought leaders to CSU to share their experiences and hear about important global problems that align with our research enterprise,” Rudolph said. “Our 24 percent increase in research sponsorship from industry in 2014 is one indicator that diversification of interest in our solutions is expanding. This Leadership in Innovation series will continue to promote expanding connections of our discoveries to global impact.”
About Christodoulou
Christodoulou joined Boeing in October 2012 from the U.S. Department of Energy, where he was head of the Advanced Manufacturing Office and co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Working Group on the White House’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Initiative, a program launched by President Obama in June 2011.
Before that assignment, Christodoulou was Director of the Defense Sciences Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, where he applied his research expertise to developing revolutionary capabilities for the U.S. military. While at DARPA, he directed research and development across the fields of math, physics and quantum science, materials, portable energy and power, tactical medicine, biological warfare defense and neuroscience.
He also pioneered the accelerated development of multifunctional materials to realize a new class of unmanned micro-aircraft used by U.S. forces today. He is also the co-inventor and primary developer of a class of materials known as XD Alloys.
Christodoulou earned a bachelor’s degree and doctorate in metallurgy from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London. His research in environment-sensitive fracture of engineering materials continued at Carnegie Mellon University as a postdoctoral research fellow.
Christodoulou is a Fellow of the American Society of Metals, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1996 Grunfeld Medal, 2006 National Materials Advancement Award from the Federation of Materials Societies, and 2011 Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
