Iowa State University announced that Chris Cornelius has been named chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, effective Jan. 1. He will hold the Wilkinson Chair in the department. Cornelius is currently a chemical engineering professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and diversity coordinator for the Mid-American Transportation Center at UNL. He also served as associate dean for research in the UNL College of Engineering. In addition to higher education, Cornelius also has years of industry and professional experience, including engineering and technical positions at the Sandia National Laboratories, 3M and Dow Chemical. “Chris is an accomplished scholar and administrator who brings a great breadth of experience to this position,” said W. Samuel Easterling, dean of the Iowa State College of Engineering. “His broad-based work in both higher education and industry are key attributes that will support the department and the college moving forward.”