Catherine Rae

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Cathie Rae
Born
Catherine Mary Fiona Rae
Alma materUniversity of Oxford (MA, DPhil)
Scientific career
FieldsMetallurgy
Microstructural Characterisation
Materials science
Nickel-based superalloys
InstitutionsUniversity of Cambridge
Open University
University of East Anglia
ThesisGrain boundary migration (1982)
Doctoral advisorDavid A Smith
Websitewww.rrutc.msm.cam.ac.uk/directory/cathie-rae

Catherine Mary Fiona Rae FIMMM is a Professor of Superalloys in the Department of Materials at the University of Cambridge.[1] Rae is the Director of the Rolls-Royce UTC in Cambridge.[2][1][3][4] She is known for her expertise in electron microscopy and the behaviour of materials in aerospace applications.[5]

Education[edit]

Rae became interested in science when accompanying her father on field work visits to sub-Saharan Africa and the space race between the US and USSR.[6] This motivated her application to University, where Rae was one of the first female students to study in St Catherine's College, Oxford (as it was previously an all-male college) and was a college scholar.[7] In 1974, she completed her degree and received a First in Metallurgy and the Science of Materials.[7] Rae completed her Doctor of Philosophy degree[8] on grain boundary migration supervised by David A Smith and Peter Hazeldine.[7]

Research and career[edit]

After her studies in the University of Oxford, Rae moved to Girton College, Cambridge to become a Rolls-Royce Research Fellow.[7] This began her association with Rolls-Royce Holdings and her work in superalloys.[7] In 1972, Rae received a University Fellowship sponsored by Rolls-Royce which she used to fund her research full-time for three years and part-time for two years after the birth of her son.

Rae took time out of research for the birth of, and to raise, her first daughter, and this was extended by the birth of her second daughter and the recession.[7] In this period, Rae taught for the Open University and developed a Science Foundation course at the University of East Anglia (UEA) which was established to enable those with GCE Advanced Level qualifications to gain entry to University.[7]

After this eight-year break, Rae rejoined the University of Cambridge and earned a lectureship position in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy and a teaching fellowship at Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 2002.[7][9] In 2009, Rae was awarded an Industrial Fellowship hosted by Rolls-Royce plc and provided her with direct view of the workings of the company.[7][2][9]

Rae is well known for her work on superalloys,[5] including understanding the mechanical properties and microstructure formation,[9] as well as the development of single crystal superalloy blade systems including the application of the thermal barrier coating. She is an expert in transmission electron microscopy. Rae holds multiple patents for significant advances in materials for gas turbine engines.[10]

Professional service[edit]

In 2014, Rae was on the Programme Committee for EuroSuperalloys 2014, a major conference in superalloys research.[11] Rae has served on the Royal Society Committee for Science, Industry and Translation.[1] She is Director of the Rolls-Royce Strategic Training Partnership which was nominated for the Times Higher Education Awards in 2017 for the "Most Innovative Contribution to Business-University Collaboration".[12][13] Rae is also serves as a member of the "Structure and Properties of Materials Committee" for the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.[14] In 2018 she led the Rolls-Royce UTC's presentation of "Engineering Atoms" at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition.[6] Rae acts as Senior Advisor for the start-up "OxMet" founded by Roger Reed.[15]

Public service[edit]

In the 2021 United Kingdom local elections Rae was elected as a Labour Party councilor for Cambridgeshire County Council, representing the Castle ward in Cambridge.[16] Previously, in 2018 Rae had unsuccessfully run for councillor for the Fen Ditton and Fulbourn Ward of South Cambridgeshire District Council as a Labour Party Councillor.[17][18]

Selected Academic Publications[edit]

  • Rae, Catherine MF, and Roger C. Reed. "The precipitation of topologically close-packed phases in rhenium-containing superalloys." Acta materialia 49.19 (2001): 4113-4125.
  • Freund, Lisa P., et al. "Segregation assisted microtwinning during creep of a polycrystalline L12-hardened Co-base superalloy." Acta Materialia 123 (2017): 295-304.
  • Bensch, Matthias, et al. "Influence of oxidation on near-surface γ′ fraction and resulting creep behaviour of single crystal Ni-base superalloy M247LC SX." Materials Science and Engineering: A 577 (2013): 179-188.
  • Pang, Hon Tong, et al. "Solution heat treatment optimization of fourth-generation single-crystal nickel-base superalloys." Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A 43.9 (2012): 3264-3282.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Prof. Cathie Mary Fiona Rae — Rolls-Royce UTC". rrutc.msm.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Catherine Rae | Royal Society". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  3. ^ "UK Research and Innovation Grants".
  4. ^ "Engineering Atoms Inside the Jet Engine: The Great British Take Off". SciTech Connect. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  5. ^ a b Rae, C.M.F.; Reed, R.C. (2001). "The precipitation of topologically close-packed phases in rhenium-containing superalloys". Acta Materialia. 49 (19): 4113–4125. doi:10.1016/S1359-6454(01)00265-8. ISSN 1359-6454.
  6. ^ a b "Cambridge Material Eyes" (PDF). Winter 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Professor Catherine Rae | Fellows | Contact | Emmanuel College, Cambridge". emma.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  8. ^ Rae, Catherine Mary Fiona (1982). Grain boundary migration. ox.ac.uk (DPhil thesis). University of Oxford. OCLC 863325081. Copac 12597699.
  9. ^ a b c "Professor Cathie Rae | Royal Society". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Search Patents - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Committees Eurosuperalloys". s550682939.onlinehome.fr. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  12. ^ "Times Higher Education Awards 2017 shortlist announced". Times Higher Education (THE). 7 September 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  13. ^ "SuperAlloys 2016: Short Courses". tms.org. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Structure and Properties of Materials Committee contacts | IOM3". iom3.org. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  15. ^ "OxMet Technologies – Portfolio". oxmet-technologies.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  16. ^ "Council and committee meetings - Cambridgeshire County Council > Elections". cambridgeshire.cmis.uk.com. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  17. ^ "New District Councillor in Little Wilbraham - The Wilbrahams, Great Wilbraham, Little Wilbraham and Six Mile Bottom". The Wilbrahams, Great Wilbraham, Little Wilbraham and Six Mile Bottom. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  18. ^ "Cathie Rae for Fen Ditton & Fulbourn in the South Cambridgeshire local election". Who Can I Vote For? by Democracy Club. Retrieved 29 November 2018.