David J. Michel received his B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering Option, from the University of Missouri-Rolla, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Metallurgy, with a minor in Nuclear Engineering, from Penn State.  After service as Staff Metallurgist with the Division of Research of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, he joined the Materials Science & Technology Division of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory as a Research Metallurgist in 1972.  At NRL, he advanced through a series of technical and management positions, and in 1992, he was promoted to Associate Superintendent of the Division.  In this position, he was responsible for division-wide management of research facilities, research programs, funding and personnel.  He retired from NRL in 2002.

Dave has been recognized by numerous national and international technical societies throughout his career.  His awards include election as a Fellow in 1989 and receipt of the George Kimble Burgess Memorial Award in 1994 from ASM International, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Nuclear Materials from TMS in 1996.  He was recognized by the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences with the Alumni Achievement Award in 1995.  He is the author or co-author of over 150 refereed technical papers, the author or editor of 5 books on Nuclear or High Temperature Materials, and he holds 5 U.S. and international patents in Nuclear Materials.  He is also Key Reader for Metallurgical Transactions A.