John Perepezko wins Hilldale Award

John Perepezko, the IBM-Bascom Professor in materials science and engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is one of four faculty members selected to receive a 2023 Hilldale Award.

Awardees are chosen by the secretary of the faculty to recognize outstanding contributions to teaching, research and service.

Perepezko is a renowned innovator whose accomplishments in making the design of materials more cost- and energy-efficient have made a tremendous impact. He has spent his career studying the microstructures of materials to better understand their properties and how they can be expected to perform in products. His patented technologies at UW–Madison have been licensed to some of the biggest names in the semiconductor industry. The pervasive use of ultra-high-density computer microprocessors and jet engine turbine blades is in large part due to his fundamental discoveries.

In addition to being committed to interdisciplinary and innovative research since the beginning of his career, Perepezko has won national awards for his outstanding teaching. He has taught 10 undergraduate and graduate courses in materials science and engineering, several of which he developed. Over the past 40 years, he has continued to update these courses to integrate more interactive opportunities and enhance student engagement. International lectures and visiting professorships have enabled him to share his passion with students beyond UW–Madison. Outside of the classroom, he actively promotes professional opportunities for materials science and engineering undergraduates.

“Perepezko has taken a critical role in advancements in materials science and developing technology worldwide that will be even more important in the future,” says chair of materials science and engineering Izabela Szlufarska. “Based on his pioneering research contributions, his dedication to teaching, and loyalty to the University of Wisconsin, he fully deserves the honor of a Hilldale Award.”

Other Hilldale winners include Professor Sissel Schroeder in anthropology, Professor Paul Lambert in oncology and Professor Susan Cook in musicology.

University Communications published a previous version of this news story.