Dr. Ray Buchanan, MSE Department Head, Dies
Dr. Ray Buchanan
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Dr. Raymond A. (Ray) Buchanan, aged 62, of Knoxville, died Sunday evening, January 15, 2006 at his home. Dr. Buchanan was Professor and Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
He received his B.E., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Buchanan's first teaching position was at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He joined the faculty of the University of Tennessee in 1985.
The recipient of numerous awards for teaching and research, Dr. Buchanan was honored with the UT Chancellor's Award for Research and Creative Achievement, the College of Engineering's Brooks Distinguished Professor Award, the Allen and Hoshall Engineering Faculty Award, the Robert M. Condra Professorship and several Outstanding Teacher Awards.
Dr. Buchanan's expertise was in the areas of corrosion, wear, fatigue and biomaterials. He was the author of numerous publications ncluding a textbook co-authored with E. E. Stansbury entitled Fundamentals of Electrochemical Corrosion.
Dr. Buchanan was an active member of several professional societies, and he was a fellow of ASM International (formerly American Society for Metals) and a former chairman of the Oak Ridge Chapter of ASM International. He was recently co-director of a major National Science Foundation (NSF) Integrative Graduate Education and Traineeship Program (IGERT) focused on materials lifetime science and engineering, and he was a co-director of an NSF International Materials Institute Program entitled Advanced Neutron Scattering Network for Education and Research with a Focus on Mechanical Behavior.
As evidenced by all of his awards and accomplishments, Dr. Buchanan loved working with students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, and he was highly respected by all of the College of Engineering faculty, staff and students. He is survived by: his wife, Billie Miller Buchanan; daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Scott Reeves of Atlanta, GA; granddaughters, Katie Reeves, Abby Reeves, Brianna Smith and Hope Buchanan; mother, Katherine Buchanan of Madison, TN; brother, Ronald B. Buchanan of Nashville; sister, Bunny Buchanan Norris of Madison; several nieces and nephews.
For more information, contact: Kim Cowart, Communications Manager, Office of Engineering Communications at (865)-974-0686/kcowart@utk.edu