Dr. Viola L. Acoff

Education

• Ph.D., Materials Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
• M.S., Materials Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
• B.S., Materials Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Biography

Dr. Acoff’s areas of specialty are welding metallurgy, physical metallurgy, additive manufacturing, and materials characterization using electron microscopy. She has been awarded more than $7 million in externally-funded research grants, published over 80 papers, co-authored three books, and given more than 100 invited and contributed talks on her research.

Dr. Acoff has 20 years’ experience working in the area of diversity and inclusion and has served as Director of UA’s site of the National Science Foundation Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program since 1996. In this capacity, she spearheads activities to increase the number of science and engineering degrees awarded to students from underrepresented minority groups.

Honors and Awards

• Ellen Swallow Richards Diversity Award, The Minerals, Metals, & Materials Society (TMS), 2014
• Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award, UA National Alumni Association, 2014
• Educator of the Year Award, Engineering Council of Birmingham, Inc., 2016