Biography
Dr. Richard (Rick) Knight, FASM, received his Ph.D. in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Loughborough University in the UK (1985), followed by 4 years (1985-89) as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Mineral Resources Research Center (MRRC), at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, prior to joining Drexel University in 1989, where from 1997 to 2011 he directed the Center for the Plasma Processing of Materials (CPPM). Dr. Knight has over 30 years experience in thermal plasma technology - arc and plasma systems for materials processing, waste treatment and thermal spray coatings. His research was funded by NSF, DoE, NASA and numerous industrial sponsors. He has ~90 publications and presentations relating to plasma, arc and thermal spray coating technology, co-holds 3 Patents and has co-organized multiple technical sessions at national and international conferences. Dr. Knight has served as proposal reviewer for NSF, DoE, EPA and CRDF, and was a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Thermal Spray Technology for several years. Dr. Knight was elected as a Fellow of ASM International® in 2003 and served as Secretary/Treasurer, VP, President and Past-President of ASM International’s Thermal Spray Society (TSS) from 2002-08. He received the TSS President’s Award in April 2009. He also chaired the TSS Program and Training Committees and ASM’s College and University Committee and served as a member of the ASM Web Committee. Dr. Knight updated and co-taught the ASM course on Thermal Spray Technology for more than a decade. An ASM member since 1989, Dr. Knight was elected as a member of ASM International’s Board of Trustees in 2009, completing his term in October 2012. In May 2009 he was elected as the first Fellow of Alpha Sigma Mu. Currently Dr. Knight is a Teaching Professor, Associate Department Head and Undergraduate Faculty Advisor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel. He also serves as a Faculty Advisor for the Drexel Material Advantage™ student chapter and for the Philadelphia "Liberty Bell" ASM Chapter's Materials Camp®, hosted at Drexel. Dr. Knight currently teaches the ENGR 220 Fundamentals of Materials course and coordinates the MATE 491-3 Senior Design sequence. He currently serves as the MSE Dept. Chemical Hygiene Office (CHO), chairs the MSE Department undergraduate curriculum committee and services on the College of Engineering's Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and Senior Design Coordinators Committee.
Degrees / Education
- PhD, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University (UK), 1985
- MSc, Electroheat and Industrial Process Heating, Loughborough University (UK), 1978
- BSc (Hons.), Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University (UK), 1977
Research Interests
Professor Knight is no longer research-active, has no laboratory or research group, and is no longer taking on graduate students. Interested students are encouraged to browse the research group information for other MSE faculty.
Areas of Study
Academic Distinctions
- 2021 Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Teaching Award, Drexel University
- 2019 Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering Outstanding Service Award, Drexel University
- 2018 Winner, College of Engineering, Engineers Week 2018, Faculty Jeopardy Contest
- 2018 College of Engineering Outstanding Service Award, Drexel University
- 2015 Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering Outstanding Service Award, Drexel University
- 2015 Philadelphia Liberty Bell Chapter of ASM Int’l., 2015 Meritorious Service Award
- 2010 ASM International Philadelphia Chapter Albert Sauveur Lecture Award
- 2009 Fellow of Alpha Sigma Mu
- 2009 ASM International Thermal Spray Society President's Award
- 2008 Drexel University, Harold M. Myers Award for Outstanding Service to the University
- 2007 Philadelphia Liberty Bell Chapter of ASM, Delaware Valley Materials Person of the Year
- 2005 ASM International Liberty Bell Chapter President's Award
- 2003 Fellow of ASM International
Select Publications
- Allan, L., Bauer, A., Huang, Z., Koste, K, Pedicone, M., Knight, R. and Austero, M., “Sustainable Hydroponic Technology for Urban Farming,” IEEE Student Branch Poster Competition, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 2012.
- Zurecki, Z., Ghosh, R., Mercando, L.A., Akuh, M. and Knight, R., “Effects of Automated Substrate Cooling on HVOF-Deposited WC-CoCr Coatings,” Journees A3TS, Association de Traitment Thermique et de Traitement de Surface, Paris, France, December 2010.
- Stravato, A., Mochalin, V., Picardi, S.C. and Knight, R., “HVOF Sprayed Nylon-11/ Nanodiamond Composite Coatings: Production and Characterization,” Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, 17 (5-6), pp. 812-817, December 2008.
- Jackson, L.C., Ivosevic, M, Cairncross, R.A. and Knight, R., “Sliding Wear Properties of HVOF Thermally Sprayed Nylon-11 and Nylon-11/Ceramic Composites on Steel,” Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, 16 (5-6), pp. 927-932, December 2007.
- Ivosevic, M., Knight, R., Kalidindi, S.R., Palmese, G.R. and Sutter, J.K., “Microstructure and Properties of Thermally Sprayed Functionally Graded Coatings for Polymeric Substrates”, NASA/TM-2003-212119, March 2003.
- Knight, R. “Thermal Spray: Into Its Second Century…Through the Looking Glass”, Guest Editorial, International Journal of Powder Metallurgy, 38 (7), pp. 33-34, 2002.
- Guddeti, R.R., Knight, R. and Grossmann, E.D., “Depolymerization of Polyethylene Using Induction-Coupled Plasma Technology”, Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, 20 (1), pp. 37-63, 2000.
- Knight, R., Smith, R.W. and Apelian, D., “Application of Plasma Arc Melting Technology to Processing of Reactive Metals”, International Materials Reviews, 36 (6), pp. 221-252, 1991