Lorna Gibson

Lorna J. Gibson is the Matoula S. Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the School of Engineering at MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She earned a BASc in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1978 and a PhD in Materials Engineering from the University of Cambridge in 1981. After her PhD, Gibson worked as a Senior Engineer at Arctec Canada Ltd. and then served as Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia from 1982 to 1984. She joined MIT in 1984 as Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, advanced to Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering in 1987, became full Professor of Mechanical Engineering in 1995 and of Civil Engineering in 1995, was appointed Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in 1996, and named Matoula S. Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in 1997. Throughout her career, she held significant leadership roles, including Chair of the Faculty from 2005 to 2006 and Associate Provost from 2006 to 2008. Professor Gibson retired in January 2022 but continues to contribute through her foundational work in the field.

Gibson's research focuses on the mechanical behavior of cellular solids, encompassing engineering materials like honeycombs and foams, scaffolds for regenerative engineering, and natural structures such as wood, bamboo, trabecular bone, plant leaves, and stems. Her pioneering studies on structure-property relationships have advanced modeling and mechanical testing of these materials, influencing lightweight structural designs, biomedical scaffolds, and biomimetic applications. She co-authored landmark books, including Cellular Solids: Structure and Properties (with M. F. Ashby, second edition 1997), Metal Foams: A Design Guide (with M. F. Ashby, A. G. Evans, N. A. Fleck, J. W. Hutchinson, and H. N. G. Wadley, 2000), and Cellular Materials in Nature and Medicine (with M. F. Ashby and B. A. Harley, 2010). These texts are standard references in materials science and engineering. Gibson's excellence in teaching earned her MIT's highest undergraduate teaching award, the Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellowship in 2015; the Bose Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2017; the Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2013; and the Teaching with Digital Technology Award in 2016. She created innovative MITx video series on cellular solids and bird biomechanics, such as woodpecker head protection and sandgrouse feather water absorption, bridging engineering with natural phenomena through public lectures and courses.