AREAS OF EXPERTISE AND RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Casting Design, Solidification, Mechanical and Engineering Properties of Cast Alloys
• Ferrous and Nonferrous Metallurgy, Ductile Iron Casting Technology
• Mg-treatments Methods, Inoculation of Gray and Ductile Irons
• Manufacturing Processes / Rapid Prototyping / Precision Casting Processes
• Permanent Mold Casting / Mold Design and Mold Materials, Coatings
• Gating & Risering Systems Design; Liquid Metal Filtration Systems
• Friction and Wear Resistance, Effect of Alloying and Surface Treating Methods
• Alloys Development and Synthesis; Materials Testing, Failure Analysis, NDT and NDE

SERVICE TO PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• Member at Large, ASM International, Manufacturing Technology, Critical Technologies Sector
• Member, American Foundry Society, Aluminum Division, Gating and Risering
  2-H Committees
• Member, Cast Iron Division, 5D- Special Irons Committees
• Member, ASM International, ASM International, Wear Resistant Materials Committee

REVIEWER FOR JOURNALS, PUBLISHERS, GRANTING AGENCIES, etc

• The National Academies, National Research Council
• The National Science Foundation
• American Foundry Society Congresses Program and Papers Committee
• An International Journal “MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING”
• SME, Journal of MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS
• Elsevier Science Ltd, Journal WEAR, Cambridge, UK
• Gill Heaton Publication, Wear Of Materials, Editorial Office, Canada

PREVIOUS AND CURRENT TEACHING EXPERIENCE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COURSES:

• Applied Metallurgy
• Fundamentals of Metal Casting Engineering Technology
• Molding Practices
• Research Project in Industry Technology
• Melting Practices
• Tooling Practices
• Industrial Materials
• Foundry Research Practicum
• NDE of Materials / SEM (Co-Instructor)
• Manufacturing Processes
• Iron Metallurgy
• Special Casting Methods
• Ductile Iron Casting Technology
• Metallurgy for the Non-metallurgist

During his successful career, Dr. Lerner has been involved in or managed numerous R&D projects. Some of these Projects are listed below.

CURRENT PROJECTS

• “Development of In-Mold/ In Filter- Inoculation Systems for Ductile Irons” (Principal Investigator), PECHINEY ElECTROMETALLURGIE (France),SELEE Corporation (USA)
• Chills and Cooling Fins Optimization for Sand and Permanent Mold Casting of Aluminum Alloys (Principal Investigator)- AFS-DOE- Founding is pending

RECENT PROJECTS

• “Pre-inoculation Effect of SiC” (Principal Investigator), EXOLON-ESK Corporation
• “Filter- Inoculant System for Gray Cast Irons” (Principal Investigator) PECHINEY ElECTROMETALLURGIE(France),SELEE Corporation (USA)
• Development of Iowa Roadmap to Metal Casting Industries of the Future
• “Upgrade Materials Testing Lab to Materials Science Lab for an Industrial Technology Curriculum” (Principal Investigator), National Science Foundation
• “Flow & Clogging Behavior of Ceramic Filters in Ferrous and Aluminum Alloys; Top Gating Systems ” (Principal Investigator) SELEE Corporation
• Preliminary Investigation for Determining Vacuum Assisted Casting Parameters for Direct Shell Production Castings (Co-Principal Investigator), ATR Grant
• The Effect of Barium Inoculants on Structure and Properties of Thin Wall Ductile Iron (Principal Investigator), Carver Foundation Grant
• “Investigation of Engineering and Service Properties of Austempered Ductile Iron” (Co-Principal Investigator), Rock Island Arsenal, Department of Defense and Albany Research Center, Department of Energy