Forest Thompson
Education
B.A., Colorado College
M.S., South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
Ph.D., South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
Breif Bio
Dr. Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering at South Dakota Mines. Prior to 2024, Dr. Thompson worked as a Research Scientist with the Arbegast Materials Processing & Joining Laboratory at South Dakota Mines, where he led research efforts involving to one of the laboratory’s core technology areas (plasma-assisted surface engineering).
Research Expertise
Dr. Thompson’s research focuses on the study of processing-structure-property relationships in advanced materials. His specific research areas of interest include: (i) plasma-assisted physical vapor deposition techniques (such as high-power impulse magnetron sputtering), (ii) synthesis and characterization of multifunctional transition metal nitrides, (iii) the tribology of metals and ceramics.
Teaching
Dr. Thompson teaches courses related to the structure and properties of metals and advanced ceramics. While at South Dakota Mines, Dr. Thompson has taught courses on “Fundamentals of Glass and Ceramic Engineering” (MET400/500) and “Materials Characterization Methods & Applications” (MES602/MES602L).