Professor Peter J. Uggowitzer was never officially my mentor or supervisor — neither during my studies nor in my former postdoc in Leoben. Yet, his presence and friendship over all these years have profoundly shaped both my personal and professional life. Through him, I learned not just metallurgy, but how to think metallurgy — how to see and question the world through the lens of one of the great masters of our time.
Even just last week, he sat in my office patiently explaining to me the fundamental concepts of metallurgy — things I should have long mastered by now. That was Peter: generous, humble, and endlessly giving of his knowledge and time. A truly magnanimous mentor.
I want to express my deepest and eternal gratitude to you, Professor Peter, and dedicate this special prize and perspective review paper to you. As Reviewer #1 beautifully wrote, “This will be a paper that scientists will read and consult 100 years from now.” If that turns out to be true, then I want future readers to know how much admiration and gratitude I hold for you — for your patience, your kindness, and your unwavering support through my personal struggles and disabilities.
It has been one of the greatest honours of my life to share this time on Earth doing metallurgy by your side.
Read my perspective review paper dedicated to the 75th birthday of Professor Peter J. Uggowitzer. He will be celebrating his birthday this year on 24th of November! A happy birthday in advance Professor Peter and a Glück Auf on behalf of the[X-MAT] team.
Tunes, M. A. (2025, October 26). The Legacy and Future of Aluminum Alloys: Space Exploration and Extraterrestrial Settlement. ACS Materials Au. American Chemical Society. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialsau.5c00139
(American Chemical Society Materials Rising Stars 2025 Award)
Abstract:
The metallurgy of aluminum alloys has long shaped the history of space exploration. Their combination of low density, high strength, and excellent manufacturability and formability makes them indispensable for structural components in satellites and spacecraft. However, the next era of human space exploration—spanning long-duration deep-space missions and extraterrestrial settlement—poses unprecedented new challenges, including radiation damage and shielding, thermal cycling, micrometeoroid impacts, hydrogen embrittlement, and other degradation forces acting in synergy. Addressing these issues requires the reinvention of aluminum metallurgy, tailored to space environments. This perspective adopts a multidisciplinary approach, tracing the evolution of aluminum alloys in spaceflight, evaluating their performance under space-specific degradation mechanisms, and outlining future design strategies that integrate insights from chemistry, physics, metallurgy, and materials science to develop the next generation of space materials.
Addendum:
Dr. Johannes Österreicher also dedicated a paper to Professor Peter Uggowitzer’s 70th birthday and can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2020.113664 (Just to show how much a good mentor can be influential for their students!)
Materials at Extremes 