Robert F. Speyer

Robert F. Speyer is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech and the CEO of Verco Materials, LLC, both in Atlanta, Georgia.  Dr. Speyer earned his B.S, M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign.  From 1986-1992, he was an Assistant and then Associate Professor at the NYSCC at Alfred University, and then joined the faculty at Georgia Tech, earning full Professorship in 1999.

His areas of interest over a forty-year span of research have varied from glass fusion and devitrification, fiber-reinforced glass-ceramic composites, processing and characterization, as well as single-crystal growth of piezeoelectric ceramics, gas radiant buners, ultra-high temperature composites, ceramic armor, and ceramic-based lasers.  He has advised 23 Ph.D. and 15 M.S. graduate students, published 1 book (Thermal Analysis of Materials), 138 refereed papers, presented 241 papers, and holds 17 patents.

Dr. Speyer’s research has led to two spinoff companies; in the 1980-1990’s, Innovative Thermal Systems built computer-interfaced thermoanalytical instrumentation (DTA/DSC, dilatometers, etc.), including rate-controlled dilatometry and thermogravimetry systems.  His work on boron carbide armor was spun off to Verco Materials, LLC, who earned ~$8M in (ARL, Natick, NavAir, DARPA) development contracts, and is presently focused on marketing rifle-protection armor for U.S. police officers/operators.

Courses taught by Dr. Speyer have varied from Thermal Analysis, Glass, Thermal/Mechanical Properties of Ceramics, Semiconductor Technology, and Introduction to Materials Science.  Over the most recent decade or so, he has continued to focus on and develop three courses at Georgia Tech: Chemical Thermodynamics, Transport Properties of Materials, and Ceramic Processing, Properties, and Applications.