September 18, 2026 John Perepezko Receives 2026 RQ Distinguished Fellow Award Written By: Aubrey Ugorowski Departments: Materials Science & Engineering Categories: Awards | Faculty John Perepezko, IBM Bascom Professor in the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, received the 2026 RQ Distinguished Fellow Award at the 18th International Conference on Rapidly Quenched and Metastable Materials, held Aug. 23-28 in Busan, South Korea. The award honors career-long contributions to the field of rapidly quenched and metastable materials. Brian Cantor and Takeshi Egami also received the honor this year. Past recipients who are leaders in the field include David Turnbull, Robert W. Cahn, Frans Spaepen, Akihisa Inoue and William L. Johnson, a list that reflects the significance of the award within the field. Perepezko has spent more than four decades at UW-Madison studying the microstructures of materials and how they hold up in real-world use. His research spans phase transformations, kinetics, metal powders, high temperature intermetallic alloys and microgravity processing. Patented technologies developed in his lab have been licensed to major players in the semiconductor industry, and his discoveries have shaped the development of high-density microprocessors and jet engine turbine blades. He is a fellow of ASM International, TMS, AAAS and MRS, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. In 2020, ASM International gave him its Albert Easton White Distinguished Teacher Award for his record of excellence in teaching and mentorship. In 2023, he received a Hilldale Award, one of the university’s highest honors for teaching, research and service. Professor John Perepezko receives the 2026 RQ Distinguished Fellow Award in Busan, South Korea.