Scott Thompson
Associate Professor
C3207
Phone: 573.882.4060
Email: smthompson@missouri.edu
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Biography
Scott Thompson, an associate professor with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and affiliated with the MU Research Reactor, performs research on metals additive manufacturing (AM) methods, including laser powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition, and specifically on process modeling/simulation, defect detection, prevention and rectification (quality control), and in determining process-structure-property relationships through machine learning. Through his affiliation with the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR), he also investigates the effects of harsh environments, including high temperature and nuclear radiation, on emerging, industry-relevant materials. This research is performed expeditiously through the unique resources at MURR, which allow for accelerated radiation damage testing by placing materials near the reactor core and the use of a suite of materials characterization equipment capable of handling radioactive materials.
Thompson received his Bachelor of Science and Ph.D., both in mechanical engineering, from the University of Missouri (MU) in 2008 and 2012, respectively. His graduate studies were sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Fellowship. Before joining Mizzou as an associate professor in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering in 2023, he was a faculty member at Mississippi State University, Auburn University and Kansas State University (KSU). Throughout his career, he has been successful in launching successful AM research programs and in securing several externally funded research projects from agencies such as the NSF (x4), DARPA, DoD (including the SBIR/STTR programs), DoE, NIST and NASA. He has published ~60 peer-reviewed journal articles, 3 book chapters, and 50+ peer-reviewed conference proceedings. He has also given or have been involved with 40+ technical presentations. Thompson was among the top 0.1% of most cited scientists involved in mechanical engineering from across the globe (~110,000) for the year 2020. He is a member of the ASME, TMS, and ANS, and a senior member of the AIAA. He is actively involved in leading the organization of advanced manufacturing activities for the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE) conference (2023 Advanced Manufacturing Track Lead Organizer) and co-founded the Symposium on Additive Manufacturing which is held annually at the ASME IMECE. Thompson was also the Chair of the ASME K13 Committee on Multiphase Heat Transfer from 2019-2021 and continues to be a regular instructor on ‘Directed Energy Deposition AM Methods’ for the TMS Additive Manufacturing Materials and Processes Workshop.
Education
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering from University of Missouri
BS, Mechanical Engineering from University of Missouri
Technical Focus