Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence Materials Science; Autonomous Materials Design; Computational materials science; High-Entropy Disordered Systems; Materials for Energy Applications; Materials for Aerospace Applications. Prof. Curtarolo multidisciplinary research makes use of state-of-the-art techniques from fields like materials science, chemistry, physics, quantum mechanics, mathematics and computer science.
Bio
RESEARCH FIELDS
- Artificial Intelligence Materials Science
- Autonomous Materials Design
- Computational Materials Science
- High-Entropy Disordered and Amorphous Systems
- Materials for Energy Applications
- Materials for Aerospace Applications
- Materials for Deep Space Exploration
The research is multidisciplinary and makes use of state of the art techniques from fields like materials science, chemistry, physics, quantum mechanics, mathematics and computer science.
Education
- M.S. University of Padua (Italy), 1995
- M.S. University of Padua (Italy), 1998
- M.S. Pennsylvania State University, 1999
- Sc.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003
Positions
- Edmund T. Pratt Jr. School Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- Director of the Center for Extreme Materials
- Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Professor in the Department of Physics
Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
- Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher. Clarivate Analytics. 2021
- High Performance, Computing Modernization Program Flagship Award. DOD-HPC. 2021
- Distinguished Visiting Professorship. Max-Plank Society, Fritz-Haber Instittue, Berlin. 2018
- Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award. Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation. 2016
- DOD-MURI Award, The Science of Entropy Stabilized Ultra-High Temperature Materials. Duke University, NCSU, UCSD, UVA. 2015
- Fellow. American Physical Society. 2013
- Stansell Distinguished Research Award. Duke University. 2013
- DOD-MURI Award, Topological decompositions and spectral sampling algorithms for elements substitution in critical technologies. Duke University, UMD, UNT, CMU, BYU. 2013
- MRS Silver Medal Graduate Student Award. Materials Research Society. 2008
- ONR Young Investigator Program Award. Office of Naval Research. 2008
- Best Paper Award. CALPHAD (Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry). 2008
- NSF Early CAREER Award. National Science Foundation. 2008
- Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. President of the United States of America. 2007
- Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. National Science Foundation. 2007
Courses Taught
- PHYSICS 791: Special Readings
- ME 592: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science
- ME 555: Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering
- EGR 95FS: First Year seminar in Focus
- EGR 101L: Engineering Design and Communication
In the News
- Materials Scientist Stefano Curtarolo Elected to the European Academy of Sciences (Aug 13, 2024 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Computational Method Discovers New Materials for Extreme Environments (Jan 11, 2024 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Which Duke Scholars Made the Most Cited List? (Nov 16, 2023 | Duke Research Blog)
- Heat-Proof Chaotic Carbides Could Revolutionize Aerospace Technology (Oct 17, 2022 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Duke Awards 22 Distinguished Professorships (Jun 28, 2021)
- Strengthened by Chaos, New Super-Hard Materials Will Stir Steel Together (Feb 25, 2021 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Can artificial intelligence create the next wonder material? (May 5, 2016 | Nature)
- A Made-to-Order Materials Menu (Nov 17, 2014 | Duke Research Blog)
- How Supercomputers Will Yield a Golden Age of Materials Science (Dec 1, 2013 | Scientific American)
Representative Publications
- Feltrin, A. C., S. Divilov, G. E. Hilmas, S. Curtarolo, and W. G. Fahrenholtz. “Integrated computational and experimental investigation of Groups V and VI metals in (M,Hf,Ti,Zr)B2-(M,Hf,Ti,Zr)C ceramics (Accepted).” Journal of the European Ceramic Society 46, no. 2 (February 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.117779.
- Divilov, S., S. D. Griesemer, R. C. Koennecker, M. J. Ammendola, A. C. Zettel, H. Eckert, J. R. Shallenberger, et al. “Variable-Temperature Plasmonic High-Entropy Carbides.” High Entropy Alloys and Materials 3, no. 2 (December 1, 2025): 273–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44210-025-00066-2.
- Eckert, H., S. A. Kube, S. Divilov, A. Guest, A. C. Zettel, D. Hicks, S. D. Griesemer, et al. “Soliquidy: a descriptor for atomic geometrical confusion.” Npj Computational Materials 11, no. 1 (December 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-025-01529-1.
- Filipović, S., W. G. Fahrenholtz, G. E. Hilmas, N. Obradović, and S. Curtarolo. “Synergystic properties of dual phase (Hf,Ti,Zr)B2–(Hf,Ti,Zr)C ceramics.” Journal of the European Ceramic Society 45, no. 12 (September 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.117448.
- Lund, E. T., S. Sohn, A. van de Walle, S. Curtarolo, D. Hofmann, and J. Schroers. “Tension-compression asymmetry of shear band stability in bulk metallic glasses.” Materialia 40 (May 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2025.102408.