Wilkinson, David S.

David S. Wilkinson, Alumnus

David S. Wilkinson | EngSci 7T2, MMS MASc 7T4, PhD, FRSC, FCAE, FCIM, FACerS, PEng

Distinguished University Professor, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, McMaster University
Provost & Vice-President, Academic, McMaster University

(Photo: McMaster University)


Alumnus Dr. David S. Wilkinson is a Distinguished University Professor and the Provost & Vice-President, Academic at McMaster University. He served as Chair of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering from 1987-1991 and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering from 2008-2012 at McMaster University.

As a teacher, Dr. Wilkinson has been involved in the development of a new introductory materials course involving a highly interactive learning environment for over 900 first-year students. As a researcher, Dr. Wilkinson has authored over 200 scientific publications, specializing in the mechanical behaviour of both metals and ceramics.

Dr. Wilkinson was the founding director of the McMaster Centre for Automotive Materials and is principal investigator for the Initiative for Automotive Manufacturing Innovation (iAMi) – a $46-million research collaboration. He was also the Director of the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute.

Dr. Wilkinson received his undergraduate degree in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto  in 1972 and his Master of Applied Science (MASc) in Metallurgy & Materials Science (now Materials Science & Engineering) in 1974 under the supervision of the late Professor George C. Weatherly. In 1978, he earned his PhD in Engineering Materials from Cambridge University under the supervision of Professor Michael F. Ashby.

In 2008, Dr. Wilkinson was awarded the title of Distinguished University Professor at McMaster University, an award available to only eight active faculty members in the university at a time. In 2009, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) and in 2010 as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (FCAE).

In 2013, Dr. Wilkinson returned to U of T to participate as a leadership panelist during the U of T department of materials science and engineering’s centennial celebrations – 100 Years of Materials Innovation (1913-2013). In the same year, he was also inducted into the U of T Engineering Alumni Association’s Hall of Distinction, an assembly of peer-selected graduates who embody the pinnacle of achievement in their professions.