The Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering announced Dr. Luke N. Brewer, a professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, as the 2026 T. Morris Hackney Endowed Faculty Leadership Award recipient.
The award honors a faculty member who exemplifies the constant guidance and leadership necessary to make the Styslinger College of Engineering exceptional. It was created as a tribute to T. Morris Hackney and was made possible by contributions from John H. Josey and his son, Howard Josey.
Brewer has served as a professor in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering since 2015 and currently serves as associate department head for graduate studies and director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Design Integration. His research focuses on advanced processing and manufacturing of metallic materials, with an emphasis on developing innovative technologies for producing, repairing and improving structural components.
Before joining The University of Alabama, Brewer worked in both industry and national laboratories. He began his career at GE Global Research Laboratory before moving to Sandia National Laboratories, where he worked as an electron microscopist, metallurgist and materials simulation specialist. He later transitioned into academia at the Naval Postgraduate School, where he built a research program in welding and corrosion engineering.
At UA, Brewer has helped expand the College’s research capabilities through major infrastructure and program development. He established the cold spray deposition laboratory in 2015; founded the Alabama Atomization Facility in 2021, one of only four university-based facilities of its kind in the nation; and co-founded the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Design Integration in 2023 to advance interdisciplinary research in metallic, ceramic and composite materials.
Brewer has also played a pivotal role in mentoring students and building research capacity within the department, guiding 16 doctoral students and eight master’s students while leading 39 externally funded research programs totaling $14.4 million.
“The Hackney Award was a very welcome surprise, and it affirms and encourages the work I do to make the Styslinger College of Engineering and the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering better,” Brewer said. “I think of it as a team award because I could not accomplish what I have without the contributions of staff, administrators, fellow faculty and students.”